Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 11 (Patreon)

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The smell of incense rushed through her nose. The curtains, they were red as blood. The walls, the columns and even the floor oozed history and majesty. The dress of the servants was refined, the nobles even more so. The Emperor...he smiled at her. And her father...he...

Fire....

FIRE!

She awoke with a gasp. 

Cheng Ming groaned as a piercing head-ache shot through her mind. It felt like someone had taken a ancient war drum and started pounding inside her head. Her eyes shot open and instead of waking up in a fine summer palace, she was inside her tent. Outside, men and women drilled relentlessly and the sound of the sea flew above the din. She sat up on her cot, the sensation of her legs moving pushing forward empty bottles onto the floor. She winced, the sound of the glass falling and rolling twice as intense. 

​So much for Imperial blood.

Her hand reached for the scroll on her tableside. Her face morphed in dismay as she saw how late she had woken up. The longer that she wasted time, the less lien she could make. Contracts have to be fulfilled, people beaten into submission. Her legs moved as she tried to stand.

Then, Ming yelped as her feet accidentally stepped on a nearby bottle and she slipped. She landed on the floor with a groan. And as if on cue, her scroll started playing that damnable triumphant music. 

It was at this moment, the flaps of her tent opened and a elderly voice spoke. "Jun Wang, are you awake? There are visi-" 

The voice stopped speaking as soon as the speaker saw Ming on the floor, her blanket on her back, and her cheeks redder than red. 

"You saw nothing," Ming insisted, trying her best to look dignified despite the fact she didn't look like it. Her Minister and Lieutenant, Zhuge Hong chuckled, his robes fluttering as he walked up and collected the messy bottles on the carpeted floor. He paused, glancing at her scroll playing that hit Atlesian propaganda song. With how pumping it was to the psyche, it was becoming popular to listen by the troops...

Mercenaries, he corrected himself. With no Mistrali Empire left, they were all nothing more but mercenaries. 

"I did not, Jun Wang," came his loyal reply as he went to clean up his Prince's tent. Ming groaned some more, her willpower forcing her raging headache to begone. It did not do as she wished however. Her ears perked as Hong finished packing up the bottles and took with him a wooden bowl. Ming rolled on her back, looking up at the roof of her tent then finally, her minister came into view still carrying a wooden bowl. 

"Time to wake up," he said, holding the bowl. Muttering curses under her breath, the vaunted heir of Mistral stood up on shaky legs. She glanced at the bowl Hong held and saw it had water. Sighing, she splashed some to her face. And then some more. 

Feeling refreshed, she took another breath of air as she made for the back of her tent to change. As she did, stripping behind a divider that gave her some privacy, she thought to what Hong had said earlier. "You said we had visitors?" she asked.

Hong had deposited the bowl back to where it was and nodded, looking outside. "Yes, my prince. It seems that they are interested in hiring our services." 

Ming paused to consider what Hong was saying. They weren't camped inside Vale but rather inside a township on the outskirts of the city. They could have went and found a place to stay inside the city with little issue however, that meant expensive fees that she couldn't be arsed to pay. There was a fee on their weapons, their supplies, their breathing even.

"They must be desperate...or they are that impressed by us that they are willing to go out of their way here," Ming theorized. Really, an email or directing it towards their CCT Net webpage would have been more than enough. It wasn't the medieval ages anymore. 

"By going here, our good visitors have placed value in meeting you. They are doing you honor, my Prince," Hong said. 

'As they should,' Ming thought. As much as it stroked her ego, Ming had to admit that going outright to see her was intriguing. 

"Where are these visitors now?" she asked. 

"They are inside the village, buying drinks for the men," Hong revealed. 

"We must see to them immediately!" Ming said hurriedly. She was going to miss free drinks!

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​The air felt choking, thick with tension, as two men glared at each other. The world did not matter, only them. At their side, the waitress spoke.

"Last one to pass out wins," she informed them. "In three..two...one!"

At that, Land and his Mistrali opponent reached for the mugs of beer nearby. They brought the tankards to their lips and soon, cool fresh beer poured down their throats. The tavern clapped and cheered, as the men battled it out. 

"Drink! Drink! Drink!" they chanted. The first mug was finished. Then came the second one, then the third. With each mug finished, the wilder the tavern got. 

I leaned back on the bar counter, a glass of wine in my hand. Everything had started relatively friendly. With the faunus deal secured, I could go and do my thing by finding the one mercenary group that I could contract to do my evil corporate bidding. They called themselves Argyraspides or the Silver Shields on account of their predecessors carrying silver-plated shields. Despite the Greek motif, their leadership wasn't Greek at all but Chinese. The reviews they had were stellar if not for their high prices. I suppose they could do a big markup since most of them were formerly soldiers of Mistral. The average Silver Shield looked no older than thirty and each man had adapted to the changing times. Before, they would have looked no better than a carbon copy of Alexander the Great's soldiers but now, they only had the silver shield as a emblem. Each merc carried a variety of equipment that I was pretty sure their quartermaster hated. 

At my side, Emerald sat quietly, munching on a sandwich I ordered for her. I had asked the little chocolate chip to stay in the airship we came here in but the little girl was adamant about not being far from me. When we had returned, she had ordered quite a lot of chicken cordon bleu that my bank had called me to ask about the constant orders. It was fine however. Little Emerald can eat whatever the fuck she wants. 

"They're noisy," she muttered, looking far too cute for what could be a murderer in the making. She grumbled as I ruffled her head. 

"Soldiers are," I said, sipping my wine. Ahead, Land was gaining speed and drinking way more than his opponent, a man that I was pretty sure a carbon copy of Zhang Fei. Beside him, his brothers were urging him on to outdrink the Mantlese Doppelsoldner. However, Land seemed to have liquor as blood and persevered while his opponent collapsed. The tavern cheered as Land stood up, yelled his praises to the God of Light, and drank the final mug. I snorted, putting my wine-glass on the counter, and clapped.

Little Emerald clapped with me as well albeit her claps were slow and unsure. The unconscious Mistrali was taken away by his sworn brothers and tended to. Land turned around, face red and breath reeking of alcohol, as he stumbled towards me.  

"Howd'd I do?" He slurred. 

"You didn't yell a slur, at least. Good job," I said, clapping. 

"These Mistralis ain't bad, y'know? We should fight a war with them," he hiccupped as he stumbled onto the counter on shaky legs. He glanced down at Emerald, eyes lidded. 

"You think I did good, girl?" he asked drunkenly. Emerald glanced towards me, hesitating. I gave her a nod. In reply, she looked up at him and nodded as well. A roaring laugh left his lips as he then ruffled her green head, earning protests from the child. I laughed, walking forward to pat her head as well, earning a pout from Emerald. 

Then, the doors to the tavern opened and a voice proclaimed, "Here comes the scion of the God of Light!" 

The mood turned, shifting from jovial to one of reverence. The Silver Shields all stood at attention and faced the doorway as a brown-haired woman entered, a smirk on her face. "At ease, you rotten toads!" she barked. The men raised their glasses at her then resumed drinking. Snorting, she turned her direction towards me. 

"Emerald, stay here and take care of Land, will you?" I whispered to Emerald. Her eyes widened. 

"...W-what?" she squeaked. 

"Just make sure he doesn't wander off, okay?" I asked her. We both turned as we heard snoring. Land had fallen asleep against the bar counter, a smile on his lips. 

"..Okay," Emerald muttered, clutching her sandwich. 

"I ain't go nowhere without you and him, alright? Just watch over him like he's your sleepy grand-dad, aight? I trust you," I said, ruffling her hair. At that, a particular shine came to Emerald's eyes.

"Okay!" she repeated herself, a bit more confident now. I offered her one last smile before I pulled away and made for my target who was also walking over towards me as well.

Cheng Ming, the daughter of the Third Imperial Prince of Mistral. She was what was left of Mistral's Dynasty after most of the Imperial Family were killed when the populace rebelled against them or they died in the subsequent dynastic struggle. I knew of her mission which was to restore her family to Mistral and her band of fighters were those that still believed it could be done. At her side, her advisor followed, arms folded within his robes and his expression was of quiet confidence. I knew him as well, Zhuge Hong, a minister that stuck with her family thick and thin. 

I would have to be careful of him. 

​I stopped walking however, choosing to stand next to a door. Inside, an empty room was made available for her and I to talk. She stopped before me, her arms crossed as she sized me up. 

"You're the visitor making my men drunk, hm?" she said, her voice rich and full of life. I nodded.

"That would be me. They looked thirsty," I said graciously. Her expression went still for a second before it went back to gracious. 

"It is well appreciated. Feeding the Emperor's Army is a gesture not forgotten," she said with a smirk. It took a bit of willpower for me not to snort. 

"Now that we are here, might we discuss business?" I asked, gesturing inside. 

"Of course," she nodded.

And so, we went in.

​We sat across each other, my posture relaxed and unconcerned. Hers was dignified, strict. At her side, her advisor stood still and with his arms folded in. 

"There is no need for introductions, I am aware enough of who you two are," I began, my eyes settling on them both. 

Ming looked amused. "Oh? Do tell me of your homework, Alexander Wayland," she said with a smirk. It would seem she had done her homework too...or my name was just becoming common.

"You are the daughter of the Third Mistrali Prince, Ming Yi, before he was lost," I began, not mentioning how exactly her father died. The smirk on her face died as I mentioned that. The room felt heavy for a moment as sparks of purple electricity flashed. 

"My Prince," Zhuge Hong said, stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. That calmed her down, significantly. 

​"My apologies," she said with grit teeth. "Unpleasant memories." 

"No offense intended," I said smoothly, fighting back the mild fear I was feeling. I had seen videos of her fighting and I had to admit I was not that confident in throwing hands with her.

"None taken," she said with a huff. "Continue," she bid me.

And so I did. 

"You have formed the Silver Shields as a open banner to restore your family to the empty Mistrali throne. However, you lack money. Hence why you have charged high rates for your services." I said, my tone final.

"I do not need to be a genius like Hong there to know that Mistral is in chaos," she said, tapping her advisor on the shoulder. "Bandits, brigands, and thieves rule the continent while the city itself is run by the corrupt and the greedy. The city and the people deserve better."

Her eyes glistened with confidence. "They deserve me." 

"Yet, you aren't in Mistral," I pointed out. She froze for a second then grinned.

"Contracts!" she boasted. "We're just here at the moment to rest. Soon enough, we'll be leaving for our next one!" 

At her side, Hong's expression was quiet for a second before he nodded. "The strength of my lord is patience. We are resting now but our situation is perfectly tenable." 

I admired their confidence if it wasn't for the fact they were both lying. Contracts for them have dried up. Vacuo had no big issues to deal with at the moment and while Mistral was a hot zone, no one was hiring them. And because no one was hiring them, their finances weren't secure either. The way that her men, literal war veterans, brightened up when I offered to buy them food and drink all but told me they weren't in the clear. The way their eyes glinted in the light all but told me they were aware of that too. But they couldn't say it out loud to me lest they weaken their position. 

"Oh?" I feigned. "Since you have contracts up next then I suppose you are too busy for me to hire?"

Her reaction was immediate. "Oh? I did not say that!" she said, leaning in and slapping the table. "Come on, Wayland. What do you have for me?" 

I smiled. "I want to hire your company, on a long term basis." 

Ming sat back down, her lip curling in a frown as she realized she'd be made. She crossed her arm. "How long term?" 

I nodded. "You see, my company is going to expand onto to heavy weapons soon. Very heavy weapons. However, Atlas prohibits the selling of such things unless it is going to the military or to a licensed group. My company already has security forces but their permit is only for civilian purposes. It will take too long to get them up to speed but you? Your company is already licensed." 

​Ming looked thoughtful, turning towards her advisor. "Hong? What do you think?" 

The advisor turned to me. "You are aware of our rates, Mister Wayland?" 

Expensive, I was well ware. "I think we can argue for a discount," I said. 

A long barking laugh left Ming's lips. "A discount? Ahahaha!" she guffawed, utterly amused as if I said an amazing joke. She shook her head, looking back at me 

"We aren't a public market to haggle, Wayland," Ming tutted at me. "If this is how you want in, no deal." 

​I took a breath. Fucking arrogant nobility. No wonder people hated their ass. I leaned in, glancing to her. "With all due respect, you are in no position to argue either. I have seen the state of your troops. They were hungry when I arrived. You were also nestled in a outskirt village than in Vale proper despite being certified." 

"Are you testing me, Atlesian?" Ming growled, her eyes narrowing as purple electricity crackled. I returned her glare.

"Ask yourself. Can you really afford to say no to me, right now?" I challenged, staring back. 

The room felt heavy, like rain was going to come. But it did not as Ming forced herself to calm. "...Tell me what your discount is."

There we go. "No markups. I will be paying you the same industry standard with the others. To make up for this, you and your men will be granted access to current and future R&I arms. Furthermore, you will be made a subsidiary of the company. Your existing structures will remain in place. There will be changes in the way you fight however."

"And how big will this change be?" Hong inquired, his eyes calculating. I glanced up at him.

"Cosmetic and the way you fight. I have a extensive list of arms I am going to be putting up and your current styles are incompatible to it," I said, noting their haphazard gear. I ain't going to deal with that shit. 

​At that, Ming became thoughtful. "Give me a second to think about it with my advisor," she requested. 

"Do as you like," I said, standing up. "I will be outside." 

And outside I went, closing the door behind me. I noticed immediately however that the tavern had gotten quiet, each patron all glued to the television by the bar counter. I raised an eyebrow, wondering what could be so important that veterans would stop what they were doing to watch the news. I walked forward, pushing past through. My ears perked as the newscaster's voice spoke.

"This just in, there is a fire going on in the SDC Courrières Mine in North Solitas! We are receiving live footage of the incident from our ground correspondent, Walters!" 

The screen changed as the camera revealed smoke rising from a distant mountain. The smoke was thick, black and sparks were flying about. Bullheads both military and with SDC markings flew here and there evacuating people. The reporter, he was trying to speak but his words were cut as a blinding flash of light consumed the screen. 

Holy shit.

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​A/N: Updoot, my dudes. 

​Cheng Ming is a combination of Cheng I Sao, the pirate, as well as a stand-in for the Ming Dynasty in China. 

Zhuge Hong is a combination of Zhuge Liang and Limahong, a pirate loyal to the Ming Dynasty. 

Courrières is the second worst mining disaster in history. Incidentally, this is the mining accident that killed Amitola's parents and the incident and the following response by the SDC will be the key that will radicalize the faunus further.