System in Assassin's Creed

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: See?

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---

Thulani exhales, looking thoughtful. ”And what about you? Are you playing the game, or are you making your own?”

Alaric chuckles, lifting his tea. ”Now that’s the right question.”

For a moment, the only sound is the quiet clink of porcelain as he takes a sip.

Reuben raises an eyebrow. ”So, you like the Assassins, then? All that ’freedom’ talk suits you?”

Alaric chuckles. ”Their way is... appealing. I don’t care for chains, and I sure as hell don’t want to be told how to live my life.” He taps a finger on the table. ”But they have their flaws. They care about their ’cause’ more than anything else. They don’t care for gold, only their grand ideals. Me? I want it all... gold, power, freedom.”

Thulani smirks. ”Now that sounds like a pirate.”

Alaric shrugs. ”Pirates are freer than most. But I don’t just want to live free. I want to reshape the game itself. The Templars hoard power and wealth, shaping the world in their image. The Assassins tear it down without thinking of the people caught in the rubble. Both sides ignore the ones who actually suffer.”

Reuben frowns. ”You’re talking about the workers. The poor bastards toiling under a Templar’s coin.”

Alaric nods. ”Not every man in a Templar’s employ is loyal to the cause. Some are just trying to feed their families. The Assassins? They don’t care. They’ll cut down a merchant, a dockmaster, a clerk, all because they served the wrong master. But I’ve seen it firsthand... when a powerful man falls, it’s the ones at the bottom who get crushed.”

Thulani leans back, thoughtful. ”So, you want to burn down the Templars... but do it your way?”

Alaric raises his cup, a smirk playing on his lips. ”Exactly. And while I’m at it, I might as well get rich doing it.”

Reuben chuckles, shaking his head. ”Now that’s a creed I can drink to.”

Thulani lifts his cup as well. ”To a new way of playing the game, then.”

Alaric clinks his cup against theirs, eyes gleaming with purpose. ”To playing it better.”

---

Again, there was silence... Reuben couldn’t take it anymore and asked the golden question.

Reuben clears his throat. ”Alaric, now that we’ve talked about these... organizations... what about those fifty men? How do we deal with them? How do we stop the arson that plan to commit here tomorrow?”

At this, Thulani’s eyes widen in shock. ”Fifty men? And they plan to set our estate ablaze?”

Alaric sets his cup down with deliberate calm and glances at Thulani. ”Yes. Emmett Scott, along with Edward Colston and their Templar allies... it’s because he thinks that Caroline will no longer have anywhere to turn to aside from him when Edward’s gone privateering...”

”And... I’ve decided that the two of you will deal with them.”

Reuben’s face tightens. ”...You’re serious? You want us to face fifty men on our own?”

A quiet smile curves on Alaric’s lips as he leans forward, ”I do. I want you both to experience the real test. You’ve trained for fourteen years now, it’s time to put that strength to the trial.”

Reuben’s eyes flicker with uncertainty and a hint of anger. ”But Alaric, this isn’t just a scuffle. These are organized, armed men. I-”

Alaric interrupts gently, his tone laced with remembered pride. ”Remember, Reuben, when I took you in from that thieves’ den? I killed at least fifteen men without any hesitation... I was five...”

He pauses, letting the memory sink in before continuing with a note of warmth. ”You are stronger than the five-year-old version of myself, Reuben. I can assure you of that. And Thulani,” he adds, turning to the other, ”fear is a luxury you can’t afford. You’ve both been molded by hardship. This is your moment to shine.”

Thulani swallows hard, his shock slowly giving way to a determined glint in his eyes. ”I... I never thought this day would come. But if this is what it takes, then even if I die, I’ll die fighting against those slave traders...”

”You won’t die,” Alaric chuckled, ”I’m here, remember?”

Reuben, his voice low but resolute, finally nods. ”If you believe we can do it, Alaric, then we’ll face them, even if my heart lingers with doubt.”

”Doubt?” Alaric’s eyebrows raised as he took his cup of tea from the table, ”Who do you want to face... fifty men... or me?”

”...”

”See?”

---

Morning came as Alaric squinted his eyes at the beam of sunray hitting his face. ”Damn...”

Yawning loudly, he sat up from his lying position and scratched his head. Grabbing a gold pocket watch on the bedside table, he looked at the time and yawned again. ’Eight in the morning...’

Alaric got up from his bed and proceeded to do some push-ups before going to the bathroom and activated Suiton: Full BathingJutsu, cleaning himself fully. ’I’m so happy I bought this.’

He headed to the wardrobe and put on a white long-sleeved polo with ruffles, black Anbu pants, and the expensive boots he bought a years ago. He then took his gold pocket watch by the bed and placed it in his pocket.

Alaric then looked at the mirror and brushed his hair with his hands, nodding in content. ’I’m really handsome... why’s that? Edward’s not...’

Deciding not to compare his beautiful face to his cousin, he walked towards the door and opened it.

’The invasion’s tonight... I wonder how Reuben and Thulani’s doing,’ He thought as he made his way to his office, grabbed the paper on his desk and folded it, placing it in his back pocket, he then got out of his office and headed downstairs.

”Good morning sire...”

”Good morning...”

Alaric nodded to a couple of maids cleaning as he walked outside the house.

---

”Your food is ready, Master...”

”Thanks,” William Penn nodded to Sebastian as he got up from his seat, ”It’s been a while since I last saw ’Laric... wonder what that lad’s up to.”

He then made his way to the dining table of his Baroque Mansion, ”Good morning...”

”Good morning, father...” Letitia smiled as she was eating her meal.

”Mornin’ William,” Hannah Collowhill Penn, William’s wife, greeted as she also ate her food.

Penn nodded with a smile as he sat on his seat and saw his food, ”This looks delicious.” He said as he dug in.

Minutes later, they finished their food as Sebastian, their butler, announced the presence of a certain someone.

”Master, Sire Alaric Kenway has visited,” The butler announced as Alaric popped up behind Sebastian with a smile.

”Sup!”

”Ah, ’Laric!” Penn smiled as he recognized that face. Twelve years of always seeing someone will not make you forget their face. ”I thought you forgot ’bout me.”

”I could never,” Alaric grinned as he took out the piece of paper in his back pocket and handed it to William Penn, ”Do me a favour will ya? I need some dependable men...”

”Hm?” Penn received the paper and unfolded it, reading the short writing, ”Butler, Coachmen... and Security? You... You need security? I find that funny.”

”No... my family does,” Alaric shook his head while smiling, ”I can’t always be around here y’know.”

William Penn looked at Alaric and mirrored the youngest Kenway’s smile. ”Yes... Bristol’s too small a city for your potential. You should sail away from here or go to London.”

”I could... maybe soon,” The blonde replied as he started walking away, ”I’m heading to your basement.”

”Ah... please add twenty thousand more, I’ll bring them when I journey back to Pennsylvania!” Penn shouted, ”I’ll pay you immediately!”

”Can’t say no to that!”

---

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”This will be the last Celestial Salve of our contract for the Royal Palace...” Alaric murmured as he settled the vials in the crates. ’Well... I should also start boosting the production of the farm with Wood Release.’

With that, Alaric walked to the door of the storage room and looked at it one last time.’It’s time I say goodbye to this room.’

He shook his head and went back towards the ground floor and saw sebastian carrying a large pouch of money, expecting Alaric.

”I’ve readied your pay sire,” Sebastian smiled, handing out the pouch.

”Thanks,” Alaric replied, grabbing it.

The butler then walked away, leaving Alaric alone.

[+ £420,000]

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’Yey... two M’s...’

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