System Nemesis 29 Chapter 29 : Institutions

Derrick's voice was cold and now devoid of emotion. His previous outburst had died down and it was like a part of him had simply... died.

Meanwhile, in a remote corner of Akata.

"Thomas, don't beat him too bad, we can't kill him"

A group of five thugs were beating a skinny youth. His entire body was wretched and multiple cuts were profusely bleeding. The tras.h.i.+ng had been going on for a good two hours and the goons didn't seem to grow tired of it.

"You worry too much Yannick. The guy that killed our chief isn't here, and he has been gone for over a week. h.e.l.l, we don't even know if he's coming back. Maybe he just bailed on everything"

The group snickered with malicious intentions. They were renowned bullies in their previous village, and they had given trouble to Jack when he had tried to enroll them to work.

The group wasn't the only one doing this in the newly formed town of Akata and although soldiers tried their best to maintain order, it was getting harder and harder without a powerful figure of authority.

They were all praying for Derrick to come back fast.

"Let's beat this weakling for another hour and bail. At this point, I'm scared he'll bleed to death"

Thomas didn't have a big stature, but it was still above average. He had developed muscles from all the beatings he administered, possessed black hair and his face was symmetric, to the point where one could say he was slightly handsome.

He was about to lift his leg and kick the ribs of the poor fellow on the ground when he heard Yannick scream. Thomas turned his head around and his blood left his face, making him look like a ghost.

Yannick's chest had a... hole. And there was no more heart. Yannick still stood there, gus.h.i.+ng out blood like a fountain. He had an incredulous expression, filled with grievances. He was clearly not ready to die, but his fate had been decided for him.

When he fell to the ground, two figures came into view. One looked like a death reaper and had a heart in hand. His cold expression made the remaining hoodlums fall to their knees. The other figure was a woman, and she couldn't believe what was happening either. There had been no interrogation, merely execution.

"Creating trouble in my town... Thinking that I had abandoned this place... You've had your fun. Atone or join your friend"

The sentence was said with no emotions and yet, carried the weight of mountains. The four goons had already soiled their pants and couldn't move, paralyzed by fear.

"I'll take that as a yes. This is your new general. Disobey her, and you die. Fail to meet her demands, and you die. Try to take an extra inch of liberties, and you die. She'll introduce herself at the town-square. We'll see you there in an hour"

Eloise tried to muster back her composure, but it was gone. She was 26 years old, and had been praised as genius of war tactics. That was why she had been promoted to general, even though she was still inexperienced.

After seeing Derrick being so merciless, she could only gulp and frankly... learn. n.o.body would dare betray such a man, because it meant death. An iron hand that never flinched. That was the image she a.s.sociated Derrick at that instant.

They found five more groups of thugs and killed someone in each one, making the rest beg for their lives. The final toll reached 6 deaths, but Derrick rejoiced as he had hit three birds with one stone. First, he had gained six more Death Warriors, bringing his total to 42. Second, he had gotten rid of 'mobs' and last, he had found more recruits to join the ranks of his army.

"Convey an a.s.sembly in the town-square"

Derrick gave the command to Lacha, which happily obliged. In his absence, Jack had built a platform that overviewed the entire central plaza, which had increased his evaluation of the old man by quite a bit. He was on it with Lacha and the trio who were puzzled as to what required their presence.

When everyone was finally gathered, Derrick's voice resounded throughout the area.

"My dear subjects... I was gone for a period of time to increase our capabilities, and some chose to oppose my decrees while I was away... Do you know what happened to them?"

His piercing eyes fell on those that he had already traumatized. When they met his gaze, they powerlessly fell on their knees and started sobbing, shocking those around them.

"That's right... They died. I was clear before and I'll make it clear again : those who follow me will get better lives, and those opposing me will return to earth. Now, enough of those pleasantries! I have gathered you here today to present you three new and very important residents. They are all extremely qualified in their fields. First, meet your new General, Eloise Tornomi. She will take over the training of the soldiers. If you dare disobey her, you know the drill. Next up, meet your new Blacksmith, Fomamli Trollfall. As you can see, he's a Dwarf, and if anyone disrespects him, you disrespect me. He'll be busy in a grand project for a while, but he'll be able to take your requests afterwards. And last but not least, meet your new Scholar, William Enceworth. He will be in charge of the education"

Derrick paused to let the crowd soak in all the information. He wanted them to realize how historic this moment was. It was the beginning of a new era, and from their reactions, they also understood the importance of this announcement. The ones that had committed the cause were puffing their chests in pride and those who had doubted lowered their heads in shame.

"Now that the introductions are over, it's time for the follow up! I'm proud to announce that we will be creating three new inst.i.tutions : army barracks, a forgery and a school. They will be headed by the three I previously mentioned"

The dwarf and the other two were shocked when they heard this. They would be running departments?!

The crowd loudly cheered when they heard this news. Some even had tears, as they had never expected to find such facilities in a backyard country like this.

"More details will be posted on a board that we will place in the town-square. For now, this is all I had to say. Thank you for following me and allowing me to pursue my and your dreams"

With a slight bow, he exited the platform accompanied by everyone who were still in shock. While walking away, a smile crept on his face.

"System, a.s.sign the role of General to Eloise Tornomi"

[Role a.s.signed successfully! Bonus of 10% to all her stats]

"System, a.s.sign the role of Blacksmith to Fomamli Trollfall"

[Role a.s.signed successfully! Success of creation increased by 10%]

"System, a.s.sign the role of Scholar to William Enceworth"

[Role a.s.signed successfully! Cognitive memory increased by 10%]

It was time to get down to business.