Lucas's horse was galloping toward the city of Lannisport, Tillie was riding just to his right, while another middle aged man was riding on his left. This man was Gary, Lucas's sworn sword. It was under Gary's strict tutelage that Lucas had trained since his childhood, honed his swordsmanship and had become the fine warrior he was, and the man was as loyal as anyone could be.
It would not be long before Gary too would undergo the same transformation that Tillie had experienced. His body would be purified and he would be strengthened.
Behind them, a dozen Lannister guards were following in disciplined formation.
In a matter of minutes, the group reached the outskirts of Lannisport. But instead of entering the city itself, they continued onward, for their destination lay elsewhere.
Next to Lannisport stood its newly constructed and developed twin city. The industrial zone, known to many simply as the Metal Town.
It was here that all the materials and products Lucas had brought into being were forged. Though it did not resemble a modern industrial city, this zone would have closely mirrored the pre industrial phase of any great metropolis. Massive forges and other heavy equipment dotted the landscape. A city built, quite literally, brick by brick under Lucas's direction.
Their horses passed through the towering gates of Metal Town, under the watchful eyes of dozens of guards stationed atop the thick five foot walls that encircled the entire settlement.
These soldiers were handpicked by Lucas himself. Only men whose loyalty was beyond question were assigned to guard this place. The blacksmiths and craftsmen who worked within the walls also faced strict regulations. It was nearly impossible for any one person to leak the secrets of Lucas's processes, for no single craftsman knew everything. Each had been taught only fragments of the techniques, and only together did they form the whole.
Moreover, they all lived under constant surveillance. They were required to stay in allocated residences within Lannisport, never outside. But for this loss of freedom, they were handsomely compensated.
The generous pay, more than what was the norm, soothed any resentment, and so the great machinery of Metal Town continued to turn under Lucas's tight control.
Lucas and his entourage continued through the city until they reached its far edge.
Before them stretched an open plain where twenty two hundred fifty young men were standing in an orderly formation. They were not far from Lucas's own age and they were clad in the finest armour Metal Town could produce and armed with the best swords and other equipment.
Once, these young men had been poor labourers struggling for scraps, orphans with no hope, men whose futures were bleak and empty.
Lucas had taken them all, along with many others, under his wing. For the past five years, they had undergone relentless training and had grown into excellent warriors.
Though small in number, this was an elite force, trained for special purposes.
Standing at the head of this force was a man around twenty-seven or twenty-eight of age, the commander of this unit. He was the first man Lucas had taken in, a formidable warrior who could rival the best knights in Westeros.
"Young Lord," the man said, dropping to one knee and at once, the entire unit followed.
"Rise, William," Lucas's firm voice echoed across the field.
As he spoke, Lucas silently invoked the power of 'tame' on all 2250 soldiers and on William. Relief washed through him as he felt his power take hold over every single one of them.
He could never be entirely sure of the loyalty of the other guards, blacksmiths, or workers throughout his territory. But these men? He had worked tirelessly to build this force, nurturing them, investing quite a sum of gold coins into their training and upkeep. If he ever suspected someone's loyalty was in doubt, he had dealt with it swiftly and decisively.
This moment, thus, brought Lucas a deep sense of satisfaction.
William rose, followed by his unit.
"Are all the preparations complete, William?" Lucas questioned.
"Yes, Young Lord," William replied steadily. "At your command, we will set sail from Lannisport."
"Good." Lucas stepped a few paces closer. Then, almost imperceptibly, he used the power of purification on the soldiers.
Not to the full extent he had done with Tillie. That would have been too conspicuous on such a large group. But he had used enough to push their physical condition up by a subtle notch.
They were nowhere near Tillie's level, but each man was now sharper, hardier, stronger than any average soldier. And given how physically capable they already were, it made them all the more formidable.
The soldiers merely felt a pleasant, soothing sensation ripple through their bodies, something they might have easily attributed to the cool sea breeze drifting over the plain. But a shift had occurred within them and they would only realise it when they would involve themselves again in physical activity.
"Can you do it, William?" Lucas questioned, his voice stern and serious.
"Yes, Young Laster," William replied.
There was no doubt and hesitation in his voice. For this was the only single goal for which they had been trained for in the past five years. They could not fail. This was a big responsibility and he was willing to fulfill what was being entrusted to him.
"Good," Lucas said as he moved. "Come with me."
William, along with Tillie and Gary were the only ones who followed after Lucas. They walked some distance, until they arrived in front of a small yet luxurious house.
It was Lucas' house in the Metal town. Followed by them, he stepped into the house and arrived into a room on the first floor. From that floor, through a trap door, a staircase descended which led to a basement deep inside the ground. The basement was dark and flame torches in the hands of Gary and Will were the only source of illumination.
The basement was filled with many wooden chests and Lucas pointed towards two of the chests.
"Pick them up," he said.
William and Gary strapped the flame torches on the wall and picked up the two chests. Both the chests were filled with gold blocks, the size of biscuits.
"It should be enough?" Lucas asked, though he already knew the answer.
"Yes, Young Lord," William replied.
"Good," Lucas said and with a gesture from him Gary and William carried both the chests out of the basement.
Tillie followed them while Lucas remained behind. Once they were gone, Lucas raised his hand and all the chests vanished from their location. They had been moved to the storage space of the Sky Poison Pearl.
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