Chapter 522: Declaration
Breakfast was filled with some very interesting conversations along with a lot of laughs, including Jill. Most interesting to Laz was that all the girls seemed to know each other quite well and had no problem striking up conversations with each other. If anything, it was Laz who felt like the odd man out even though he was sitting at the head of the table, eating.
"Ahem," Kennedy said, quieting everyone down.
"Oh... It’s time huh?" Malene asked.
"Should be. I was wondering when she would start," Celes added on.
"No you didn’t. We all knew perfectly well what she was waiting for baby," Ruby laughed, causing the others to laugh as well, including Celes.
Seeing this, Laz had questions, but he didn’t interrupt. Instead, he put down his fork and wiped his mouth before drinking down the last of his coffee. Much to his surprise, Nora got up and brought the pot over to refill it for him before sitting back down.
Laz leaned forward on the table and rest his elbows on the table, his chin resting on his folded hands as he looked at Kennedy. While he was curious, he was also a slight bit annoyed that he didn’t know what it seemed like everyone else was informed on.
His gaze focused on Kennedy, but she didn’t find it uncomfortable, just inquisitive.
"The Hearn Corporation is moving along at almost triple the projected rate ever since we entered the field of bio-medicine. Honestly, it’s kind of like cheating since they couldn’t possible predict that everything we are doing comes from awakened such as yourselves. I’m sure you’ve seen your bank accounts grow because of it and all I ask is that each of you be careful with your new found wealth. As the heads of the board along with our newest member, our success is your success but keeping a low profile is the key to this endeavor," Kennedy said, pressing down on the table in front of her.
Suddenly, to Laz’s surprise, a screen popped up out of the glass table in front of him, the same as the others. While Laz was a little surprised, he didn’t say anything. Jill on the other hand was far more amazed and gasped, having not even known it was there.
"The figures you see before you are the projected sales and profit margins for the next year for every division and sub-division and branch companies under our umbrella. While I’m sure none of you are very interested in these numbers, this is crucial to the other aspect of our business which is the organization of the guilds underneath us."
The screens changed, showing a map of the world with dots and shaded areas all over the planet. Zooming in just on North America, the map then showed a picture of the US, Canada and Mexico. Four Fifths of the map were covered in the purple shade used to identify the Hearn Corp. The rest of the map had various colors and names written in, none of which Laz recognized.
"This is the current layout of the guilds that belong to us and those that don’t along with their designated threat level. Most of these are not of concern except for these three." Kennedy pointed out an area in Mexico where the red color clashed with the purple.
" Our policy is to leave those alone who don’t wish to join us, but the Outlaws guild running this area has been forcefully taking both awakened and chosen as prisoners to do something with them. We have warned them several times that their actions will cause unwanted attention to themselves and us, but they don’t seem to be getting the hint that they need to stop. Death, War, Famine and Pestilence, this is your area of expertise so I leave the solution to this problem in your hands. Just keep it clean this time, please? Make sure to spare the innocent. We are not them and don’t want to be treated like such," Kennedy said with a small smile.
The four girls nodded, knowing what she meant but not speaking of it out loud, leaving Laz in the dark.
"Next up we have Canada and specifically this area here. While the guild here wasn’t aggressive in the past, we have clearly approached them and spoke to them of the range of our area and recently they’ve been picking fights and setting up various business in our districts. The worst part is that everything they do seems to be a scam in the end, stealing money from those we sout to protect. Since they can’t leave well enough alone, Celes, Nora, Malene and Leona will go handle it," Kennedy said before turning her attention to the last bit on the map she was worried about, a place right smack dab in the middle of the dessert of Nevada.
"As for this area... the reports coming in from our Vegas headquarters is sketchy at best. Despite sending people out, there isn’t a lot of information coming back. And sometimes those investigating go missing." Kennedy said before showing an ariel view of the area in question.
"It’s a forest?" Leona asked, looking at the image.
"Yes. But the interesting part is what’s in the forest," Kenney responded before the view zoomed in on something large and stone like right in the middle of it.
"So a forest appeared in the middle of the dessert and in the center of it is some sort of giant stone.... what?" Nora said, interested.
"I don’t know. Normally, we would send you to check this out, but considering your seal, it’s quite a bit to dangerous until we figure out what’s actually in there."
"So that’s where I come in?" Laz spoke, looking at Kennedy.
"Yes. We need you, my lord..." Kennedy said before bowing.
Strangely, as she did so, everyone else stood up as well and bowed too, including Vivi.
Laz was surprised and sat back in his chair with a questioning look on his face.
"Alright. Everything else aside, now I’m confused. What exactly is this?" Laz said, finding himself turning a bit red at this type of action.
"We..." Kennedy was about to say when Laz cut her off.
"Stand up, please." Laz got up from his seat and walked over to her on the other side of the table.
"I’ve said this before, but we are in this together. I know it’s been year since we’ve last seen one another, but nothing has changed that fact. So don’t bow to me or anything like that. Just explain to me what’s going on. All of you. Stand. Please? This isn’t something I am comfortable with...." Laz said, helping Kennedy to stand straight despite her protests.
Seeing Kennedy stand straight and hearing his words, all of the other girls stood as well, but all of their eyes were glued to him.
Kennedy took a deep breath before she spoke.
"Last night, you completed the bonding with us, your twelve stars. While we were connected before, this is so much stronger, not only our connection to you, but to each other as well. It’s weird but not uncomfortable. But something else happened too. We saw...." Kennedy hesitated to continue.
"We saw you. We saw... what you are and what you will become," Ruby said in a much more subdued voice than she had ever used before.
"It was like watching a red moon rise but with the light and strength of the sun, blinding, yet alluring and captivating," Famine added, her eyes closed as she focused on the image.
"It’s hard to describe in words... very hard," Jill said, adding a bit of her own.
"At first, we were gathering here to discuss what we were going to do with you considering each of us didn’t want to let you go while also being jealous of one another. It was leading to some tensions. So when we saw what you were doing in that prison and needed some help, we figured now would be a good time to do this," Celes said, knowing that they were being too vague.
"Kennedy has been leading us ever since she took over the company and asked us to join her. As things got bigger and bigger, her leadership became less important in the company since that’s what all of her underlings are for. She just had to make the big decisions while they took care of the day to day stuff. She also felt the connection to each of us the strongest. When you would leave your mark... she was the one who went looking and did the recruiting. Since we all have your mark, we all trust you and therefore each other, but it’s not like we knew each other," Malene said.
"But now.... we do. Everything. Every emotion and feeling is shared. We can’t reach each other’s thoughts, but we can read the feelings of one another and it’s.... it’s easy to work things out when you can understand one another this way," Nora commented.
"We are now sisters, each of us. And you... my dear Lazarus... you are our king. Therefore it is not only our job to serve you, but also to show you our loyalty. It’s something we can’t deny.... we feel it, deep in our bodies. The need for you and the deep feeling of awe of you. Therefore... we would like you... our king.... to take control and lead us. Lead the company. I feel.... we feel.... that you were born for this..." Kennedy said, finally getting to the just of their thoughts and why there were gathered here today.
"So you want me to lead things from now on?" Laz asked, staring her right in the eyes.
"Yes my lord," Lyssa said.
"Yes my lord," everyone else echoed.
"Yes. My beloved!" Kennedy said.
Laz stared into her eyes again, hard. But she was staring back firmly, her eyes tinted a slight shade of red, the same as the others were were still standing while staring at him.
Laz then took a deep breath.
"I refuse."
