“Stop! Don’t do this!” Captain Frank begged for his life as two bandits captured him. “Do you think the noble lords will let this be?! They’ll inform the King of your villainous group of miscreants! He’ll bring the royal army down on your head and exterminate every living relative of yours, along with cutting your heads!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he desperately spouted off at the mouth.
“...” John raised his flail.
“Do you really not fear death?! Do you take everyone for a joke just because of your great strength!? One man cannot defeat an army! Even you will fall eventually!” Realizing the bandit was madness incarnate, Frank could only curse him in death as that disgustingly big farmer’s weapon came swinging down on his head.
Brain matter, blood, and skull pieces went flying from the knight’s head. “Come to me! We head to Lord Gaveston to discuss the new permanent changes in Desmont. My wife’s men stay here to deal with the businesses and everything else she ordered you to do. Two or three of you come to me to deal with Lord Gaveston.” John loudly shouted. Hydra marched their way to the castle, still covered in the blood of Franks’s knights. When they arrived at his manor, they sent the personal knights of Lord Gaveston into a frenzy. Like chickens with their heads cut off, they mobilized in a panicked and chaotic manner.
They cut any knights attempting to stop their march down without hesitation. John informed them beforehand they wouldn’t lose their lives if they stepped out of the way, but how could honor-bound knights officially leave their lord to the mercy of bandits without fighting? Thus, John and the Green Snakes made the perfectly maintained grass in front of Lord Gaveston’s castle turn into a field of blood and steel. They stormed their way into the castle and eventually found Lord Gaveston in the middle of fleeing with the help of his most trusted knights and servants.
John ordered the bandits to leave any servants and slaves alone. There would be no point in reaping their lives as their business had to do with Gaveston. Robert and his snakes cut down Lord Gaveston’s most trusted knights and left the man himself alive for John to deal with. John slowly walked to the man, cowering in fear with his clothes completely soiled.
“I don’t care if you knew about Captain Frank’s plan. I don’t care if you agreed and went along with them. From now on, Desmont and any other land owned by you is now under the control of Hydra. Understood?”
“...” Lord Gaveston rapidly nodded his head. Death was the only outcome for foolishly trying to resist at this point.
“I’m glad we could come to an agreement. You three take over and watch him closely.” John told his wife’s trained men. “Robert, keep half of your men here as Gaveston’s new knights, while the other half will take over as security for Desmont,” John ordered next.
“I won’t let you down, John.” Robert nodded as he began relaying orders to his men.
The most trained of the Green Snakes were kept at Lord Gaveston’s castle, while the other half would return to Desmont. John journeyed back with those returning to Desmont. His job here was finished. There wasn’t anything left he needed to do at Desmont, so he would be returning back to Kinter.
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The citizens of Desmont didn’t know whether to cry or be grateful for the return of Hydra. It was a sad reality when it seemed that bandits cared more about their well-being and happiness than legitimate knights and their lord. Hydra brought back several things that Captain Frank was more than happy to destroy or ruin.
The Monastery that had most of its funding stripped now had its coffers filled with more money than they knew what to do with. Instead of spending money on frivolous things like statues, luxuries, and the like, Abbot Jim used the money to help those desperately in need. Madam Boss left him a set of instructions on ways to use the gratuitous amount of money he had received from her. He and his nuns went around Desmont, taking in orphaned children to become monks or nuns now that they could afford the extra mouths. They created more hospitals across Desmont and with the medical techniques left behind by Madam Boss. Ill and injured citizens weren’t afraid of going into the hospitals with fears of never leaving them once they went in! Monks and nuns who were fully educated in the ways of Christianity and felt that they could deepen their faith elsewhere now had the capital to travel elsewhere to spread the teachings of Christ and help those less fortunate across the world. They would give the Christian pilgrims a set amount of funds and necessary tools for travel before they could go off and deepen their faith.
Abbot Jim constantly spoke praises of Madam Lydia to the point that she was as revered as much as the Saints! The children who grew up in the Monasteries learned about the infinite grace and wisdom of Madam Lydia. The nuns all inspired to be like Madam Lydia, a woman who knew how to care, teach, and protect. Eventually, this monastery, funded by Madam Lydia, grew to the point that even a bishop from this church was a part of the King’s Court!
Brothels were now running with more rules in place, but somehow the atmosphere was a lot better than before. Under Madam Lydia’s control, the brothel transformed from a place riddled with sin and depravity into a place of sexual freedom and relief. The workers were paid, and no longer considered slaves in all but status. The Green Snakes swiftly beat any unruly customers and taxed them based on the extent of damage caused to their employees or the place of business. Somehow, Madam Lydia even got nuns to serve as in-house doctors for the workers. Abbot Jim was hesitant to talk about it in most cases, but he mentioned something about how sex was natural and indulging in it was as human as one can be. Man can strive to be like Christ, but Man will never be Christ.
The school allowed girls to become students again and removed the payment fee Captain Frank added to keep the poorer citizens out. The school invited teachers who had left after being underpaid by Lord Gaveston and Captain Frank to come back and teach. Their pay would be the same as it was when they were first hired. In no time, Desmont University was back up and running for children of all ages.
Children studied arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music theory, grammar, logic, medicine, self-defense, strategy, and rhetoric. By the time graduation came, there were few places these graduates could go without excelling. Once news spread of the amazingly intelligent graduates of Desmont University, more people around the nation came to enroll their children. Due to this, an increase in the number of teachers was needed. It snowballed in an explosive manner, with Desmont University becoming the top academic institution in the entire nation.
Initially, those of noble birth and higher looked down on the insignificant school for commoners. They all thought, how could a school full of peasants possibly amount to anything? And in a way, they were right for quite some time. Desmont University didn’t accomplish any amazing achievements until its second batch of students graduated. Twenty-four years of being unknown to the world. Then graduates who managed to secure powerful and enviable positions within the nation spoke about their schooling. Many were surprised to realize that the married wives of many powerful men graduated from Desmont University, and they didn’t have any problems saying that it was because of their wives' help that they had become as great as they were now.
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Famous military generals, warriors, doctors, teachers, merchants, abbots, poets, and painters. All of them graduated from Desmont University. All had humble beginnings as young girls or children of peasants. Even orphans could excel when graduating from Desmont University. It only took the words of several respectable and admirable people praising Desmont University for even those of noble birth to shut up and get in line.
Although it still took several years for that to come. Their first decision was to create a noble academy to suppress and surpass Desmont University called King Andrew’s School of Elites. Yes, King Andrew himself personally funded and supported the creation of this noble school. The Church thwarted his attempt to directly destroy this place of learning completely. They sent scripture after scripture at him and the court to dissuade them from directly harming Desmont University.
By this point, Madam Lydia and Hydra were the biggest backers of the Church. How could the Church let anything untoward happen to their biggest sponsor if they could help it? It doesn’t take much to rile up the feathers of nobles by spouting religious babble. The Good Book had quite the history on it! There were more than enough pages to find something to support their causes if they looked deep enough, especially with all the monks and nuns being able to read and write.
With a heavy heart, King Andrew and his supporters were forced to retaliate in a different way against Desmont University. Young boys and young men of noble birth were allowed to enroll as students in their noble academy. Women were not allowed to enroll, regardless of their lineage. King Andrew and his court were somewhat lenient on the enrollment requirements. No matter the lineage of nobility, as long as they showed sufficient proof, they would be allowed in to study. From princes to squires, they were let in.
Instead of copying the various classes given at Desmont University, they decided to choose classes more relatable to nobles. Swordsmanship, horse riding, etiquette, ruling, law, warfare, and more. For some time, the nobles had their academy, and the peasants had theirs. If the world was just and reasonable, the two sides of the social ladder would do their own thing and leave it there. However, the noble lords weren’t satisfied with just living on the same level as peasants. They couldn’t stand their noble blood being compared to the rabble they were supposed to rule over.
So, they thought to make a friendly competition. Of course, the initial draft of this competition was anything but friendly. It was only because of the Church’s fervent protests that it turned friendly and came to the least amount of bloodshed. Although, regardless of the nobles’ intentions the outcome of the competition only soured their mood even more. This led to a severe disconnect between nobles and commoners within the region. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that tensions were high and the atmosphere in the nation could be lit with a spark.
And two people sought to take advantage of this delicate and tender mood running through the nation.
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John, Lydia, Pete, Leo, and the rest of Hydra’s Heads came together at a large round table. They were all dressed in distinguished outfits that no commoners could afford without saving money for years. Lydia and Pete looked at each other with mischievous smiles on their faces, while everyone else was mostly lost to what this meeting would entail. Even John had no idea what his wife was up to. Although he was more than capable of being a strategist, he left that to his wife as he focused on honing his skills for warfare, combat, and, surprisingly enough, teaching.
Lydia and Pete were too busy thinking up schemes, plans, and strategies to further Hydra’s influence to train the new recruits. That left John and Leo to pick up the things they couldn’t do, as Pete and Lydia did everything they could to expand Hydra as a force that no one could contend with. John didn’t mind it and actually grew fond of teaching others. Leo, on the other hand, was not a fan of teaching despite making several little prodigies of his own. As the fame-hungry bandit he was, teaching some brats was not going to help him become known throughout the region.
“That’s not true,” John argued. “If you teach them well enough and they accomplish great things down the line, guess who is going to be given credit for their achievements? Their teacher.” John explained.
“I’m not like Pete or Lydia, John. I live in the now, not the far future. Hell, I might be dead by the time these brats achieve anything. What good will that do me by looking forward to their possible future achievements?” Leo replied.
“Don’t you want to be remembered by future generations?” John asked.
“Well, no shit.”
“Not only will you be remembered as one of the greatest knights in Hydra but also one of the greatest teachers as well. It will only add to your list of achievements after your death. Anybody could be known as a great warrior after their death, but how many could be thought of as a great teacher?” John tried to reason with him.
“I guess when you put it like that, it couldn’t hurt to add more achievements to my name...” Leo rubbed his stubble. “Fine, you convinced me to actually give a shit while training these tit suckers.”
“The Legendary Reaper of the Battlefield. One of the Greatest Teachers in History. Man With a Hundred Wives.” John spouted off like some amazed child.
“Alright, ya fucker, I get it.” Leo laughed as he slapped John’s shoulder.
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“Are you all ready to turn this nation upside down?” Lydia asked, starting off their meeting.
“Haven’t we already been doing that?” Robert, Green Snake’s captain, asked.
“Well, you’re not wrong, but,” Lydia grinned like a little excited girl. “What do you all think about killing the king and his lords and then replacing them as rulers of this land?”
Silence filled the room. Pete quietly analyzed the shocked and stunned expressions of his men. John’s face was stoic as he didn’t really care all that much. Those words to him just sounded like more warfare, and as a bandit and devout follower of Lord Feedback, he was especially good at banditry. Maybe after the end of this war, he could take up farming again.
Decades have passed since John became a bandit. He was in his forties now. John started his banditry in his early twenties. It felt like forever since the last time he picked up a hoe or did any farming at all. With all the money gained through banditry, warfare, and Lord Feedback, he never saw a reason to go back to the hard work of farming. It didn’t make any sense to after all. The amount of labor put in wasn’t equal to the payout given afterward.
“Boss, do you agree with her thoughts?” Charles, Red Snake’s captain, gazed suspiciously at Pete.
“Tell me your thoughts first. Feel free to be honest. I promise nothing bad will happen to you by me just by being honest. After all, a group can’t run properly if no one is honest with each other.” Pete responded.
“I think she’s not all there in the head, and there’s nothing wrong with our life right now.” Simon, Blue Snake’s captain, spoke up without hesitation.
“Anyone else?” Pete looked at the rest, who seemed to feel similar.
“I agree with Simon.” Dudley, Yellow Snake’s captain, nodded.
“I feel the same as those two.” William, White Snake’s captain, shared.
With half of Hydra in disagreement about Lydia’s plan, Pete couldn’t go ahead with her plan no matter how badly he wanted to. So, he gave Lydia the opportunity to try and convince the other Heads. He also had to tell John to stop glaring at them for disagreeing with his wife. They had all the right to agree or disagree with his wife all they wanted. It would be different if they disrespected her, though. Then he had free reign to defend his wife’s honor.
“Are you all men, or are you cowards?” Lydia stood up and stared into the eyes of the four Heads.
“Don’t go insulting us because we don’t agree with your crazy plan!” Simon shouted.
“What’s crazy about it? You’ve all committed the worst of crimes already. Arson, theft, murder, and who knows what other crimes you’ve committed.” Lydia spouted off. “What’s a little treason and regicide going to hurt?” She smiled with nothing but ambition behind her eyes.