Chapter 391: Fear
"Company Captains invest heavily in Knights; they do campaigns and events to fund resources for them. This makes it so they build loyalty early and a sense of competition. Even normal humans pray they give birth to Knights as that’ll be their tickets to a new life."
Vale raised his brows. "What type of loyalty did Knights have for their Company?"
Georg shook his head and promptly answered, as if he had been waiting for such a question. "It’s not that type of loyalty. Although we want to become a Clan...we still don’t have that kind of loyalty to each other. Everything is driven by interest. What can the Company do for me and what can I do for them? We all understand this."
Vale nodded slowly. He could guess at what Georg was implying, that he could simply buy the Matsumoto, but Vale didn’t think it’s that easy, especially since the Tachibana Clan is already involved.
"How’s the force of each Company?"
"Well...there are six Companies, and each tries to keep the actual and accurate numbers of their forces hidden. With the growth of recent years though, I’d say the forces of each Company must be really impressive."
It was Tiber who asked the next question. "What exactly are we looking at?"
"Right. Each Company has three Master Knights. That’s the core of each Company."
"You don’t believe they have only that number of Master Knights?" Tiber asked, his voice not hiding the doubt he was feeling as well.
"My Lord, you should understand. The massive amount of resources that was sent over was staggering. And most was focused on those that will make quick Master Knights. It’s like they are trying to increase their strength as fast as they could!"
Vale already took note of the way he was calling the people of Matsumoto ’they’, totally removing himself, but he made no comments on it. Instead, he asked, "Did you gain from this? These resources, did they help you become a Master Knight?"
Georg shuddered. "Yes."
’...so the Tachibana wanted to use the Matsumoto to build up an army? Then it makes sense that they would be spending that much....the threat of Matsumoto hasn’t gone away because of the death of the Company Captains...’
Outwardly, he asked. "You don’t know what the true hidden power of the Master Knights of the Matsumoto is?"
Georg shook his head and Vale fought back a sigh. Maybe Isolde might have helped, even though she’d also try to manipulate him into something.
Vale tried to think about it from the Tachibana Clan’s point of reasoning. ’....if I was them, I’ll leave a safeguard behind with all the resources I am funneling in. They can’t have totally trusted the Matsumoto.....for instance, I can create a secret faction in the city, pull them from the locals, but they’ll answer only to me and I’ll dispatch a trusted person to oversee them....’
’...now that I’ve killed the Company Captains, I’m sure those people will be out to stabilize things. With Tong’s major help, we were able to kill lots of Master Knights, practically killing everyone that’s our opponent....’
"So Georg, I’ve not really heard anything important from you. Everything you’ve given me is what I can find out easily. Errant Knights are not easy to make, not to talk of Master Knights, so there must not have been a lot of them then. Anything you want to add?" Vale’s voice was not threatening, but whatever Georg heard made him stiffen and sweat.
"I....well, it’s more like a rumor. It’s said that each Company has some kind of backup squad backed by the Tachibana Clan directly. They don’t involve themselves in the situation and local politics of the city, but they are there. It is something that’s passed between us Master Knights. I can’t really confirm or deny it!"
Vale remained silent while Tiber spoke up. "Georg, in your estimation, how many Master Knights do you think remain in Matsumoto?"
"Well.....you killed all the known Master Knights in each Company. That’s eighteen Master Knights killed, Lord Vale." The words dropped like hot coals from his mouth as if he still couldn’t believe that such a thing happened. Eighteen Master Knights are enough to destroy.....the whole of the Hinterlands if left unchecked, and such a force was destroyed?
Surprisingly, after Vale himself, the one who did the most destruction was Tong. A man of such unassuming status. But to Vale himself, he wasn’t really impressed, and there was only one reason...
All the Master Knights that the Company Captains brought along, except for the Captains themselves, were weak! It was later, after the review of the battle, that they realized that there was something wrong with them. They had the power and aura of Master Knights, but there was still something missing, some kind of essence, as if they were filled with sand instead of stones.
It must be the resources that were given to them.
No wonder they were able to pump out such large amounts of Master Knights. Even Vale knew how much trouble he had to go through to absorb that monster into his core as an Errant Knight. The massive amount of energy and aspected monsters needed to consume to reach that level of Master Knight must be staggering. But it seems the Tachibana Clan is ready to carry the cost, and it seems they don’t care if the Master Knights turn out as defects.
They’ll still be Master Knights, the lowest of the low but still stronger than Errant Knights.
Soldiers. They are pumping out soldiers.
After a while, Tiber asked another question. "Is there anything you can remember? Any rumors that can help?"
Georg licked his lips. He swiftly looked at Vale and then at Tiber. "My Lord...are you planning on attacking Matsumoto?"
"That I am," Vale confirmed. It would be out soon enough anyway.
He knelt more firmly. "Then allow me to go along! I’m used to the ways of Matsumoto! I can help you with lots of things! I can do a lot; just allow me to go too!"
Tiber’s face hardened and he took a step forward. His eyes turned into pools of darkness and the space around him rippled with faint darkness. Danger and fear bloomed around him like fire, directed at Georg, pressing down on the man until he was shaking and sweating there, too afraid to move, his heart beating almost to bursting!
"You will do what My Lord wants, Georg. It is not your place to ask, only to obey!"
Georg clamped his mouth shut to stop the whimpers. At the moment, Tiber seemed like the scariest thing he had ever witnessed. It pressed down on him like a mountain, stifling him. He’s a Master Knight and Tiber an Errant, but at the moment, with the restriction cuff, he can’t match up with his technique.
Tiber held the technique for a while before he let him go.
Georg apologized again and again, his face dripping with cold sweat, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.
Vale nodded. "Your powers have indeed grown."
"Yes, although I still need time to properly digest the gains. I will extract even more."
Vale nodded again, and then to Georg. "What do you have to say?"
"I...I...there’s also a rumor that the Tachibana Clan sent a Saint at the Master Knight rank and she’s actually the one in charge," Georg said, not daring to meet any of their eyes.
"That’s new, but it also makes sense. We should be looking at about seven to eight Master Knights then. A Saint, eh? Interesting. I hope they’re not Sword Saints; I’ve had enough of them. You can go now, Georg. I’ll talk to you when I need to."
Georg pressed his head firmly against the floor and then took his leave, swiftly departing, his face still filled with fear. But as soon as he left the room and moved away from all the Master Knights, and into the safety of his room, his face dropped.
He didn’t say anything right away but instead brought out a coin from his pocket. The coin appeared ordinary until he whispered a word and it sent a ripple into the surrounding area, shielding him from spying!
His eyes became cold, but the grimace couldn’t be hidden, nor could the faint trembling of his limbs. "That bastard, what type of technique is that? I’ve never been so scared! Fuck, I’m really going to enjoy killing them, especially that Tiber! How dare him, how dare him do this to me, a Master Knight! This is unbelievable."
He ranted for a while before he calmed down. He took a deep breath to calm himself. "This place should have been your death, but since it isn’t so, Matsumoto will be."
Suddenly the coin he was holding buzzed and a voice came from it. They exchanged code words before they started talking.
"What is the situation?"
Georg explained.
"Well, you need to find out more about this Tong. He might be a Grandmaster in hiding. I’ll also work on some things here. I’ve also received a new order from Tachibana."