( Leo's POV, The Next Day )
With his business deal with Shane concluded, Leo collected his 2.5 million gold coins and loaded them into his carriage, before setting off for the Eastern Duchy.
However, shortly after departing, Leo transferred the gold from the carriage to his inventory as he had only loaded the carriage with the money for the sake of appearances and had never intended to transport it physically.
The risk of being looted by road bandits was too high to consider such a dangerous option, however, he did not wish to display his inventory ability in front of the NPC's either and hence he loaded up the carriage first for the sake of appearances.
"Back in your masked persona boy?" Ben asked, as he watched Leo get rid of the decent merchant clothes and change back into his comfortable assassin robes and his signature Virex Mask.
"Yeah, I don't like the merchant guy as much as the masked guy, this masked guy is a hero for the masses–" Leo said, throwing a 'V' sign at Ben who shook his head in disappointment.
"I like the merchant 'me' better…. I mean, never have I had as much fun killing a man as I did while negotiating a deal—
I got that Shane kid fumbling….
It sure was satisfying–" Ben said, stroking his chin as he had apparently taken a liking to the merchant life.
"Nah, fighting in the Grand Tournament was way more fun for me…. Also this masked guy is a noble in the Empire!
I'm a Baron by law now, master.
How cool is that?" Leo protested, as he made a strong case for his 'TheBoss' persona.
"True… maybe being a noble is better than being a merchant?
I don't know—
But, I'm sure we will find out soon…" Ben said with a satisfied smile on his face, as after a long time Ben felt like he was finally living a life worth living, where every day was a new adventure.
Unbeknownst to him however, his carriage departing for the Eastern Duchy was currently being tracked by not only the Virex Corps, but also the Night Guild's second in command, Hollard.
While the Virex Corps tailed him to gather any proof of crime that could incriminate him as a criminal and help them declare him as a fugitive, Hollard tailed him for a couple different reasons.
Firstly, he harbored a personal vendetta and sought to kill Ben and his disciple to satisfy his own thirst for revenge.
Secondly, Hollard was unable to locate Lin Mu after the Grand Tournament's conclusion as she seemed to have vanished entirely.
With none of the other Night Guild senior members capable of locating her, Hollard suspected that she might have sought refuge with Ben Faulkner, prompting his search.
Ben and Leo's convoy which was prepared by the East Duke for them, only consisted of three carriages.
One luxurious carriage for Leo's personal use, and two goods carriages that could transport some items for him should he feel the need to transport some personal belongings.
With there being no security personnel alongside them, Ben and Leo were essentially on their own to fend off against these enemies, however, even alone, it wasn't like the duo feared for their safety.
**********
(Meanwhile ChaosBringer)
After the Grand Tournament's conclusion and the infusion of millions of dollars into their underworld organization, ChaosBringer managed to shape 'The Uprising' into a proper guild.
He got members of the uprising that had not yet been charged with any infamy and used them to establish official guilds within the Empire and recruit authentic NPC Adventurers and NPC Mercenaries into their fold.
He also started to purchase small and medium-sized businesses like local bakeries, inns, and blacksmith shops to serve as fronts for their operations.
With these fronts in place, ChaosBringer began taking strategic steps to set the groundwork for future unrest and destabilization of the Empire:
1. [ Expansion of Recruitment ] : Using the legitimate businesses as cover, he ramped up recruitment efforts. Flyers and secret meetings were organized to attract disillusioned citizens and rogue adventurers to whom he offered lucrative deals and promises of power to lure talented individuals into joining The Uprising.
2. [ Arming the Revolution ]: With his newfound wealth, ChaosBringer purchased vast quantities of weapons and armor. He established secret armories in the basements of the new businesses that he acquired, ensuring that his followers were well-equipped and ready to take on any mission when instructed.
This included everything from basic swords and shields to advanced siege weaponry.
3. [ Securing Supply Chains ]: ChaosBringer realized that to turn the common people against the Emperor, he needed to hit them where it hurt them the most, which was through food and medicine.
By taking control of the supply chains for essential commodities such as food, weapons, and medical supplies he aimed to manipulate the availability of these goods in the future and hence he spent considerable amounts of resources into obtaining businesses connected to these fields as he laid the foundation for his future plans.
4. [ Creating Safe Houses ]: He used part of his funds to secure safe houses across the Empire.
These locations provided refuge for operatives on the run and storage for grains and weapons.
By establishing these safe havens, ChaosBringer ensured that his network had places to retreat and regroup if needed.
5. [ Training Camps ]: Putting the NPC Adventurers and Mercenaries he recruited to work, ChaosBringer established secret training camps in remote locations where recruits could be trained in combat, guerrilla tactics, and sabotage.
These camps ensured that new members were battle-ready and indoctrinated with The Uprising's ideology.
While his plans to start a rebellion were not yet fully in motion, with every passing day, ChaosBringer deepened the roots of his organization and strengthened them from the bottom up, as he prepared for the inevitable day where he would show-down against the Emperor.
Rome was not built in a day, and a proper rebellion could not be either, however, slowly, but surely, ChaosBringer was building his Rome.