Dromos 28 – Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644
The Secondary Workshop, Hills Above Velathri
The workshop had grown.
Vlad stood at the center of a larger underground space – new workbenches, new cabinets, a forge that burned hotter than before. The steam engine hummed, powering a row of alchemical bulbs. The Geass crest was painted on the far wall, black against the stone.
Before him stood seven figures.
Hound – scarred, solid, his bastard sword at his hip, the round shield with hidden blades strapped to his arm.
Sparrow – lean, watchful, her compound bow across her back, her new half‑helmet gleaming.
Rook – spectacles, notebook, his gauntlet dart launcher ready.
Lynx – gray cloak, grappling hook at her belt, her eyes scanning the room.
And three new faces.
Titan – a mountain of a man, nearly seven feet tall, his face a roadmap of scars. He wore heavy plate armor, a tower shield on his back, and a war hammer in his hands.
Phantom – slight, silent, his half‑elf ears peeking from under a dark hood. Twin daggers hung at his belt, and his movements were unnaturally smooth.
Eagle – an elf with sharp features and a weathered cloak, a folding spyglass in his pocket, a map case on his hip.
"These are the new knights," Vlad said. "Titan. Phantom. Eagle. They have been tested. They have been trained. They have accepted the tenets."
Titan nodded, his voice a low rumble. "I have killed for coin. Now I will kill for justice."
Phantom said nothing. He simply inclined his head.
Eagle smiled. "I have been watching the borders for years. It is time I watched for something better."
Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644
The Workshop – Briefing
Vlad unrolled a large map on the table. It showed the continent – Mercia, Valdria, the Free Cities, and the distant lands beyond.
"We have three missions," Vlad said. "Each team will take one."
Team 1: Hound, Titan, Eagle – "A slaver camp in the eastern marshes. Locate, infiltrate, and liberate the captives. Titan will lead the assault. Hound will cover. Eagle will map the escape route."
Team 2: Sparrow, Lynx, Phantom – "A corrupt tax collector in the Free Cities. He has been extorting merchants for years. Find evidence, then decide: arrest or eliminate."
Team 3: Rook, with support from me – "A network of counterfeiters. Rook will analyze their ledgers and identify the leaders. I will handle the elimination if necessary."
The knights nodded.
"Questions?" Vlad asked.
Titan raised a hand. "The slavers. How many?"
"Estimates say thirty. You will have the element of surprise."
"Good." Titan cracked his knuckles. "I have not had a good fight in weeks."
Phantom spoke for the first time, his voice barely a whisper. "The tax collector. Does he have guards?"
"A dozen. But they are lazy. You will not be seen."
Phantom nodded and faded back into the shadows.
Eagle studied the map. "The marshes. I have hunted there before. I know the terrain."
"Then you lead the way."
Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Eastern Marshes – Team 1's Mission
The slaver camp was a cluster of wooden huts on a muddy island. Titan led the assault, his tower shield raised, his war hammer swinging. The first guard fell with a single blow to the chest. The second tried to run; Titan's hammer caught his leg.
Hound moved through the chaos, his sword cutting down anyone who tried to flank Titan. Eagle climbed a tree and directed them with hand signals.
The battle lasted seven minutes. Twenty‑three slavers were killed, seven surrendered. Fifty‑three captives were freed.
Titan knelt beside a wounded child – an orc boy, no older than eight.
"You are safe now," Titan said. "We will take you home."
The boy stared at him with wide eyes. Then he nodded.
Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Free Cities – Team 2's Mission
The tax collector, a fat man named Varrus, sat in his counting house, counting coins. His guards were outside, playing dice.
Phantom entered through a window on the second floor – silent, invisible. He found the ledgers, copied the incriminating pages, and left a note: "The Black Knights are watching. Confess, or we will return."
Sparrow and Lynx waited on a rooftop across the street. When Phantom rejoined them, they vanished into the night.
Three days later, Varrus confessed to the city council. He was stripped of his position and fined his entire fortune.
Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Workshop – Debrief
The teams returned. Rook had identified the counterfeiters' leaders. Vlad had paid them a visit – the leaders were found bound and gagged at the city guard's doorstep, along with a full confession.
Vlad gathered the seven knights.
"You have proven yourselves," he said. "The Black Knights are no longer a dream. We are a force."
"What is next?" Hound asked.
Vlad pointed to the map – to a slave route in the southern mountains. "There is a network of slavers operating in the passes. We will dismantle it. One mission at a time."
The knights nodded.
Dromos 30, Imperial Year 1644 (continued)
The Workshop – Vlad's Journal
Vlad sat at his desk, writing by lamplight.
The Black Knights now number seven. Each has proven their worth. Each carries the tenets in their heart.
There is much to do. Slavers. Corrupt lords. Monsters. But we are growing. We are learning.
The world will not change itself. Someone must wield the blade.
He closed the journal and looked at the crest on the wall – the winged symbol, the wish, the hope.
Geass, he thought. A wish for a better world.
He blew out the lamp and went to work.
There was always more to build.
End of Chapter Thirty‑Four