Bloody Evolution Chapter 6 (Patreon)

It took a good five minutes to properly put on my complicated arm cannons, armor, make sure my ammo feeder, and the sorter were properly sorted so that I could form the ammo I wanted in the basket on my back to be moved and sorted into the ammo feeder.

My weapons were complicated to say the least. As with how heavy and ungainly they made me, I was already becoming of the opinion that I should just go all the way and just spend the aura to create a suit of power armor as the arm cannons were fitted to armor that could simply be refitted to fit around a suit of like Fallout Power Armor for example.

And that was without me making the weapons also into a melee weapon like most people here in Remnant did. Though for the vast majority, they didn't use as high of a calibur as I was going to as all my ammunition fit more into emplaced turrets and cannons.

"So Prinz Eugen was it?" Alice spoke calmly as Velvet was directing my movements to see if the ammo belts would stretch and move properly with any movements I made.

I looked over to see the white-haired beauty raise an eyebrow as she eyed Alice and responded simply. "That is my name indeed."

Alice gave a small smile and spoke. "So, I was curious. What relationship do you have with Jake, is he your liege lord or something?" 

I saw Prinz tilt her head to the side and then she shrugged and replied honestly. "Neither Jake nor myself are nobility of Vale. But yes, I am beholden to him out of duty and my own desire."

"Should Jake be called as a huntsman to take to the field or during the initiation test, will he be able to get his weapon ready quickly?" Alice asked again and hearing that, I honestly grimaced as it was a hard no.

For all that my weapon was going to be a punishing bitch on any open field, it wasn't like I could really eat, drink or do anything else while wearing it. And taking it on and off even with two people helping me who literally built it, took a whole couple of minutes just to get it on me.

Should I be sent out into the field, and we were camping or something to that effect and a bunch of Grimm come after me... What the hell could I do then?

Hence my power armor idea of something I could take off or step out of more easily with it being able to use more heavy munitions as well. Hell, nothing was stopping me from creating space-age stuff besides the aura/magical energy cost along with not having the room to store it.

I could literally make a Titanfall, Titan without much issue due to its strictly mundane nature, only its large size and taking a couple of days probably to make it stopped me.

"What is Beacon's initiation? I haven't been able to find anything about it?" I asked in confusion as I actually had looked it up. But could little of it beyond the terrible death count

I was curious to see if Hunter teams were the same in teams of four or whatever so I could try to plan around having another Shipgirl as I was getting close to finishing another Wisdom Cube.

But to my question Velvet and Alice shared a look before Velvet spoke quietly. "It's not advertised... And the students who survive don't like to speak about it."

Alice then took over as she spoke softly. "You have to survive three days in the Emerald Forest past the front lines where the Grimm numbers are thinner. Several of Beacons S and A rank Hunters clear the forest but they still miss and skip over so... So many Grimm."

"Sixty percent survival rate, twenty percent washout from the trauma, and the last twenty are what is left of the initiation... Ten thousand would be hunters, aged sixteen to like twenty-five join every year and then only a couple thousand are left as only the best magic users and aura users manage to survive the initiation." Velvet finished leaving me to think as both of the rabbit girls stepped back to inspect my form.

I stilled as I considered that... Surviving outside the walls to become a hunter in training. No wonder high-tier hunters were looked at with so much more respect than equal-ranked military personnel. They were monsters who took the battles in their own hands.

And that... That was exactly what I needed especially with my abilities.

But before I could speak, Alice smiled and said. "In that vein Jake, My sister and I have a presumptive request to make of you. Would you be willing to take myself and my sister to Beacon as your retainers."

My mind stalled as her words hit me. As I was well aware of the reality of what a 'Retainer' was in the context she meant.

A Retainer was someone who was tied to someone else at a slightly lower status, but they were bound to help that person in all things, on the field, taking care of their needs at Beacon or otherwise.

Once someone rose into the ranks of nobility, those retainers would speak with the nobles voice and have that same respect. And should someone take offense to that Retainer's actions or words, the lord HAS to stand up for their retainer lest they lose all credibility and respect.

So... These girls were asking a fucking lot right now.

And they knew that, I knew that, and Prinz definitely knew that as her gaze on the two became cool rather than the teasing humor she had previously.

But Alice just gave a calming smile as she said slowly. "Jake, you yourself alreadly noted the time it takes to put on your armor. What if you decide to upgrade to more armor? Carry more ammo, supplies for long term camping to hold a position?" 

All her points were sound although the bit about supplies was a bit moot as Prinz didn't need human supplies even if she would enjoy such things.

And I was well aware that having natives helping me in my goal of rising through the ranks was for the best.

Sadly although there was some extremely powerful mages that had figured out some manner of teleporting matter, it was only teleporting matter between two fixed points with complicated runic circles and rituals.

People coudn't be teleported at all, nor could Dust be teleported due to its volatile magical nature so people still needed to transport goods and supplies on their backs. Hence why retainers were a thing to support powerful hunters on the field.

But I did not need any ammo carriers with my abilities... But I did need help getting my armor and cannons on if I decided to keep using these things in a timely fashion due to the bare minimum of mecha shift stuff to make it more easy to use.

So I asked the simplest question. "Why should I trust you in the field with the lives of Prinz and myself?"

Velvet gathered the bravery to speak for herself as she said quietly. "If you have us as retainer we could feed you while you wear the arms, give you drinks, help you deal with bathroom needs on the field. Also we would be in charge of carrying your living supplies and doing scouting work while you and Prinz do heavy combat."

All good points... Even if the bathroom bit was weird. I honestly think I would rather have a Grimm try to tear my ass apart then have a girl wipe said ass for me because I was too lazy to spend five minutes taking off and putting back on my armor and weapons.

'But having them carry our tents, and such would be good... Not to mention there is nothing saying I can't just spawn turrets or something for them to use if we have to defend a point. Hell there is nothing saying I can't summon or create fortifications.'

There was just one bit left. And that was simple trust that was not a thing between us.

And as though already considering that Alice spoke calmly. "Jake, you trusted me and my sister to make you, your weapon weapon. You already trusted us to make a weapon that would keep you alive in the very field itself, why is trusting us on the field personally any different?" 

"She has a point Jake. It's not like the military forces their defense contractors to take to the field to prove how viable their weapons are." Prinz chuckled lightly as she spoke in their favor.

I looked over to her and she raised an eyebrow and said frankly. "They want to use us to step up in this world. Make use of them and keep their loyalty, it's not that complicated." 

And there was Prinz's pragmatic mindset of an Iron Blood Shipgirl. Do what needs to be done to be the most efficient and have the most power regardless of the costs.

In that same vein... I knew for a fact that should these two betray me in some way, Prinz would have punished them far worse than I could before killing them.

So I took a breath and I had one last question. "What about your grandfather? How is he going to run this store alone?" 

I saw Velvet's twist turn into a frown before Alice said slowly. "He passed away last night in his sleep... And that is part of the reason we are being so blunt in our desire to stand behind you as your retainer with your potential."

"We will lose his Grand Knight rank with his death and the Royal Family will repossess the land making us pay high rent to the Royal Family until the land is sold to another noble who would become our landlord." 

'Well, that makes sense... They are scared of becoming homeless as they have no right to sell this property at all.

There was nothing else to ask or discuss at this point. Trust, knowing them for a certain point, or even just discussing their duties towards me was just running around in circles.

I either agreed to this. Or I disagreed. 

And with Prinz throwing her support into such an idea. I was inclined to trust Prinz Eugen along with the simple fact that I would need the two to service my weapon at times anyway.

"I am... Inclined to agree, what will need to be done for this to be made official?" I asked curiously.

To which Velvet spoke up. "Thats the easiest part. There isn't any paperwork to be done until you actually become nobility so we will be following you to Beacon as technically servants and then once you prove yourself we will be elevated to stand by the rank you, yourself acquire as a Hunter." 

I nodded in understanding as becoming a Hunter was far easier than it was in canon probably. There were no four years or more of Beacon schooling to become a registered Hunter.

No, to become a licensed Hunter required one thing, and one thing only. The ability to slaughter Grimm on mass on your own and to hold a point against the Grimm. 

And even when someone became a registered Huntsman, it wasn't like Beacon, and its resources were closed to them.

No, it was a school for Huntsmen and Huntsmen-in-Training to eternally better themselves as the school offered tutoring in the magical arts for doing missions to cull Grimm numbers, deal with bandits, or otherwise deal with elite Grimm that had feasted on too many souls.

So with that all said... I said. "Alright. So we will meet you ladies at the Bullheads taking us to Beacon?" 

"Yes that would be wonderful, thank you for agreeing Jake," Alice spoke as exhaled in relief while I nodded.

"Alright, Jake let's head off for lunch. These ladies need to get ready and pack up their belongings to meet us at Beacon." Prinz spoke as she gave me a slight nudge.