'Arthur probably knows who I am right now. There is probably no point in pretending to be someone else…' Mused Will as he continued to munch his food and get to know his crew. The festivities had gone on for almost 24 hours, having started the night before, but no one was tired. After all, everyone present was of a certain level of strength.
The crew enjoyed the festivities until late into the night. When it was time, Letty stood up and signalled everyone in the room to be quiet. Within seconds, the entire hall had become as silent as an abandoned cemetery. Those that were drunk sobered up and paid attention. Letty's prestige was unquestionable, and she had won the admiration of all the attendees, but she was not the speaker; at least, tonight, she wasn't.
"Our Sovereign would like to say a few words."
Letty sat down, and Will stood up, overlooking the entire hall. Will observed his citizens, happy with his crew's work.
'They developed nicely. So far, so good. This will give us more than enough Nation Power to deal with Arthur.'
Will was not one for crowds, but he had social talents. He quickly adjusted his persona and made a serious expression. The atmosphere of the entire hall changed within a second. An intangible mental pressure weighed down upon the witnesses. Will had somehow changed the atmosphere with just a change in his expression! Letty was stunned by this action.
'What an incredible control over Mental Energy. This isn't Intent. It's just the force released by expanding the scope of his Mental Energy coverage.'
In the eyes of the onlookers, Will appeared as if he was a giant, capable of destroying everything with a single stomp.
"My name is Solitary Sword Sovereign. That is what you will call me. Not your Highness, your Majesty or anything like that. Sovereign, Master and Lord are the only acceptable titles. Of course, if you have the balls, you can also call me by my birth name, Will."
Will's words sounded casual, but his expression was anything but. The locals of Tsimikas were thoroughly intimidated. Will's friends also felt the pressure despite knowing full well that he would never harm them.
Will walked around the table and sauntered down the steps, "I'm not going to say much. Only this."
As soon as Will landed on the floor, he smiled, "Congratulations on your efforts today and in the days before. Despite my absence, you have done well developing Tsimikas. So accept my gratitude; you have all earned my respect and have proven yourselves worthy companions on and off the battlefield."
Will's words surprised the listeners. Despite his oppressive aura, he still applauded his followers. His words filled the listeners with pride; after all, who did not want to be praised by their leader?
Will did not dwell much on that topic and quickly shifted his focus of interest, drawing his sword in the process, "Now understand this about me. I have no interest in politics. I do not need love, I do not need respect, and I do not need your admiration either. Because as far as I'm concerned, admiration is furthest from understanding."
Will's words caught the attention of the observers and confused them a bit. A ruler that did not demand respect? What was that?
"That's right, what I want from you is understanding. I don't need stalkers; I don't need fans; I don't need muscle heads. I want followers that can think on their feet and adapt. I want subordinates that understand their role within my society and perform it well. This is not a democracy. I think democracy is the most ridiculous type of governance possible since most people in any group know nothing about what's good for them. As for Tsimikas, make no mistake; this is a dictatorship."
Will walked between the rows and columns, his mental pressure steadily increasing with each syllable he spoke, "My word goes. If I say jump, you jump. If I say quack like a duck, don't chirp like a swallow. If I say leave no survivors, then leave no survivors. I don't mind advice; after all, I encourage you to think, but if you say something stupid without showing any logical process behind that thought, I will end your life there and there."
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Will's sentence was laced with a subtle yet momentous intent that rippled into the hall, causing everyone to react to his words in their own way.
"So take note of this. Do not act like a machine; think on your two feet. At the same time, be obedient and understand your role. Strike a balance between these two, and I will be very happy.
I won't be here for most of the time because I have my own home to worry about. I don't know why all of you fight, so let me tell you why I fight."
Will reached the opposite end of the hall and chose to stand at a spot somewhat close to where Alexa stood. He turned and faced the crowd.
"I fight for my parents. I fight for my brothers. I fight for my sisters. I fight for my crew."
With each sentence, Will's aura peeked as if the very air itself was aroused by his words.
"In other words, I fight for my family. Honestly speaking, that's why I fight. So if you fight for your family, then we are on the same page. But if you live or fight for yourself, then I suggest you leave this hall right now.
In my experience, a decent person can only bring out their full potential if they fight to protect others. There is a limit to what one can achieve by being selfish.
If you have no family, then start one; if you don't want to have kids, then date someone or make some friends. I don't care how you go about it. But you must have something precious to protect."
Duke smiled cheekily and started a slow rhythmic beating of the table with his fist. Achilles, Tobias and Lyra showed looks of understanding and followed suit. Within seconds, the beating had spread.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"So here is what I want." Will continued as he smiled at Duke, pleased at the latters actions.
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"Fight for your husbands!"
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"Fight for your wives!"
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"Fight for your children!"
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"Fight for your siblings!'
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
More and more joined the banging, cups, empty and full banged tables across the room.
"Fight for your parents!"
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
The stomping feet and the clanging of weapons joined in on the symphony of sounds.
"Fight for your neighbour, your friend, your guardians and your benefactors."
Bam!
Bam!
Bam!
"I don't care who the f*ck it is, but fight for anyone but yourself. That is my way! That is the Senbonken way. That is our way, and from today, it's the Tsimikas way!"
Will raised his sword to the roof, resulting in a massive cheer from the crowd. Few had noticed, but during Will's speech, the mental energy had changed in nature. It had gone from a force from above crushing one's spirit to a driving force that propelled one forward with energy and vigour.
This display of Mental Energy control made Woodsy and Alexa speechless. Only they remained silent while everyone was caught in a rancour of banging tables and screaming!
…
On Earth, a large commotion was occurring. All of the world's superpowers, from Genesis' Samsara Sect to Musashi's Nine Rings to Golden Lord's House of Stone, every large-scale guild and superpower showed signs of activity after a brief moment of inactivity. Europe, Asia and Africa stirred in response to two important pieces of information.
The first, Peerless, had become stronger! The second, The Dragonheart Empire was going to war!