Having a group he could call his own had always been an idea that Ashen kept in the back of his head.
He knew that the time of a single person was limited, and additional help in some areas would allow him to focus on what really mattered with peace of mind—namely, training and killing more monsters.
One of the areas where he'd need help was keeping an eye on his family. Ashen recognized that the more famous he became, the more scrutiny they would have to be under.
He couldn't always be in Esperra to keep watch, and it was clear that Lucia's network was stretched thin… thin enough that others could penetrate it and reach Lapis.
So, Ashen's first thought was to create a dedicated group responsible for gathering information about any suspicious individuals who hovered around his parents or sister.
Then, he thought to create another group dedicated to dealing with those suspicious individuals.
Then… an interrogation group… A medical group… An anti-hacking group…
The "groups" kept accumulating, and before he knew it, when he gathered all of them in his mind, they resembled an organization more than the initial limited circle.
As to why he added the "secret" part… There were two reasons.
One, Ashen knew that, in any setting, already established groups would never allow a new rival to rise. They'd stomp any competition instead.
And the other reason was that he simply wanted to be the one in the shadows while his enemies stayed in the light. If he kept everything secret, he'd always have the element of surprise, so why would he give it up?
⛧ ⛧ ⛧
The night had settled deep over the city when Ashen found himself on Lucia's sofa, the apartment quiet save for the low, smoky notes of jazz drifting from the speakers.
She'd changed after their coffee shop conversation, trading her professional attire for something that made his throat go dry. The new nightwear clung to her curves, the top's neckline dipping too low. White stockings hugged her legs. The color made her appear quite innocent, creating a stark contrast with her cool demeanor.
He was also in his own pajamas, but they were quite simple compared to hers, though, the casualness of it all… being here, dressed down, the lights dimmed in this kind of atmosphere felt unexpectedly intimate.
Lucia had pulled him down beside her, then somehow ended up half-draped across him, her head resting against his shoulder, one leg thrown over his. Her fingers played idly with the fabric of his shirt.
The jazz saxophone crooned something slow.
"Well then," she murmured, her breath warm against his neck, "I'll go along once more with your crazy plans."
Her hand stilled on his chest for a moment before resuming its absent exploration.
"After all, when you were fresh out of the tutorial, didn't you cluelessly talk about being some war hero while not even knowing the effort and fame it required?" She tilted her head to look up at him, a small smile playing on her lips. "Back then, I nodded along, deciding to humor you."
She shifted slightly. "And now, a year later, you're nothing short of that. Against all expectations."
Her fingers found his, intertwining lazily. "So to help you with this new endeavor, you'll need three things. Consider them the initial requirements if you want to make your vision a reality."
Ashen's thumb traced over her knuckles. He smiled, "I'm listening."
"First—connections." She drew the word out, her leg shifting over his. "Any organization is primarily constituted of people. But not just any people."
She lifted their joined hands, examining them in the low light. "You need to know how to pick the most suitable for the needed tasks. How to pick the loyal from the disloyal. The talented from the ordinary."
"All of this requires connections," she continued, "these connections would allow you to know who to target and give you a way to communicate with those targets."
Her eyes met his, gleaming in the dim light. "Thankfully, I cover this requirement."
He raised an eyebrow.
"Long-term recruiter, remember? I've combed through files of countless people." She tapped his chest lightly. "And as an executive of Atlas Defense, which is the Wrath Domain's base in Esperra, our fame allows me to easily approach and recruit for our needs."
"Our needs," he echoed, feeling the significance of that plural. His hand settled on her hip, fingers splaying over the fabric.
"Mmm." The sound vibrated against him. "Second requirement—means."
She traced a lazy circle on his chest. "You have to keep your recruits satisfied. Incentive is needed, and it's usually material."
"Money," Ashen supplied.
"Money," she agreed, her smile turning teasing. "Which you'll cover with your accumulated salary."
At his questioning look, she shifted more fully against him, propping herself up on one elbow. The movement made her pajama top slip lower, and he forced his eyes to stay on hers.
"Esperrian soldiers get a parallel salary in their own continent's currency. You already know that. Those salaries are especially generous for Ashbastion soldiers since, most of the time, a percentage goes back to Atlas Defense in case of death."
Her expression sobered slightly. "And an Ashbastion soldier, whether sooner or later, always ends up dead in the end."
"I won't," he said quietly.
"—But you didn't." Her hand cupped his jaw, thumb brushing his cheek. "You should check your bank account. Even after I took my ten percent share, you'll hardly believe the numbers."
She settled back against him, apparently satisfied with the shock on his face. "That's our starting capital."
The jazz shifted to something more languid.
"And the third requirement?" His voice came out rougher than intended.
"Purpose." She said it simply, but her fingers tightened on his. "Any group without a purpose has no aim. They drift apart and dissolve."
She turned her face into his neck, and he felt her lips move against his skin as she spoke. "But for us, our purpose always stays the same, even as the idea gets bigger."
"Protection," he murmured.
"Protection," she confirmed, her breath warm. "Gathering information, spying, hiring armed forces… all of it for the sole purpose of protecting what's dear to us."
She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, and in that moment, with the low light and the jazz and her warmth pressed against him, he knew she meant more than just a partner now.
This thing between them, whatever it was becoming… was gradually transforming to something much more than that.
His hand slid up her back, pulling her closer. "Then let's build something worth protecting."
Her smile turned satisfied. "Already ahead of you, partner."
⛧
⛧
⛧
The moment the requirements were clear and satisfied, Lucia and Ashen got to work.
Their first task was information control.
They started small, hiring some of the neighbors and the regular police patrol to keep an eye on anything suspicious while reporting anything worth mentioning. Ashen handled the recruitment personally.
Those people didn't know they were becoming part of something bigger. There was no need. To them, it was just a side job that required almost no effort for easy money.
When the whole neighborhood was finally under their eyes, they moved to developing the next element. Unsurprisingly, it was the "force" that would need to intervene when the information department caught something.
Lucia had used Atlas Defense as a cover to recruit them while making them believe they were working for a private protection firm under the corporation. She'd conducted the interviews herself, sharp eyes assessing each candidate.
And it was true. Lucia had needed to establish the firm to grant them permits to hold weapons legally. But what they didn't know was that their orders didn't come from any corporation or client. They only came from a single man: Ashen.
The secret organization started taking a vague shape after the development of these two departments, and from there, a rhythm started appearing. Ashen would select a new department for development, Lucia would draft the initial recruitment list for it, and he would do the last test with the Dream Parasites to filter those who weren't fit for his needs.
Finally, they will both work to pull the candidates to their growing group.
The sparse mana in Esperra made that last filtering step incredibly slow, with him able to spread only a dozen dream parasites daily before the pitiful amount of mana he regenerated in the last night emptied.
He'd sit cross-legged each evening, eyes closed, concentrating as the parasites spread through dreams like invisible threads of his will reaching out.
But two weeks into this endeavor, they were still able to recruit more than two hundred people. The majority was responsible for gathering information, but the rest still allowed for the establishment of the initial structure of the organization.
During those two weeks, the creation of his budding organization wasn't the only thing he did. Aside from spending much-needed time with his family, he consecrated a couple of hours a day to Lapis.
Since Lucia said her stay was temporary, he could only brace himself and prepare her to the best of his abilities for what was to come.
He remembered that the first part of the tutorial incorporated some wilderness survival, so he started there.
From identifying edible fruits to creating a personal fitness plan based on her body and strengths, he did it all.
After two weeks, no visible change would occur aside from the additional survival tips saved in her brain, but Ashen wasn't overly worried.
Lapis was naturally athletic from the get-go anyway, so his job was more optimizing than building from the ground up.
And now, after two weeks, he finally decided to test out her fencing skills.
THWACK—!
"Ack!"
…And they were less than stellar. At least from his point of view.
She stumbled back, rubbing her wrist where his practice blade had struck, face flushed with exertion and frustration.
"Bro bro…" She panted, shoulders heaving. "How can you be so strong… this doesn't make any sense…"