Save the world? Fuck that, I want to make money! (RWBY SI) ch 57

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"A robbery was foiled tonight. According to ground sources, the infamous and so called Gentleman Thief Roman To-"

I droned off from the news as I glanced outside the window of my airship. In the distance, the bright lights of Vale flickered in the distance. My lips went still, fully aware of the titanic events that was going to happen soon. I had already decided on course of action to prevent the events of Volume 3 happen. The bastards thought they had the upper hand here to burn Vale to the ground and dance on the ashes. Absolutely fucking not.

I couldn't do it alone, however.

"You look deep in thought," Emerald spoke up next to me. I turned to her standing next to my seat. My face switched to one of embarrasment.

"Just thinking how my little girl is all grown up now, and flying from the nest," I cracked a smile. Emerald rolled her eyes, her arms crossed under her chest. Her chosen outfit did not look all too different compared in what she wore except her croptop and Jodhpur pants was Wayland blue instead of green and a thick unbuttoned hussar-styled jacket bearing her own personal emblem on the back. For footwear, she took long and shiny cavalry boots that reached up to her knees.

"So this is what took you a while to change into," I noted, a part of me appreciating the aesthetic however..."Are you sure you want to go to Beacon dressed like this?"

"What's wrong with it?" Emerald asked quickly, glancing down at her clothes.

"Well, I do like the look of it, hun," I nodded. "But you are going to be going to school with teenagers who will dress in wild styles of clothing. They might, eh, misunderstand what you are trying to convey with your clothes."

"I'm a Wayland and proud of it. I don't care what they say," Emerald rebutted quickly, her words final.

It had occurred to me that Emerald had been dressed in ways that she really didn't have a say with. She either wore the uniform of her preparatory school or the dresses that the maids wore. This was the first time she had decided on what she wanted to wear. Well, I wasn't going to stop her if she wanted to look like a cavalry officer from the good ol days.

"Wear what you wish, hun," I eventually nodded. At that, Emerald softened and marched up to sit on the chair across me.

"What are you going to be doing first?" Emerald asked.

I cocked my head. "Firstly, I'm dropping you at Beacon. Then, I'm going to the city proper to annoy the Council about granting me the rights to take over Mount Glenn."

Mount Glenn referred to the breached expansion Vale had attempted to do so many years ago. It fell to the Grimm from reasons still debated upon but I knew that Salem had something to do with it. That Merlot fella had committed some Mengele type experiments that just bumped up the negativity which got the Grimm going to it. As it was abandoned, so much was left behind in the haste to leave. So much industrial zones that lay abandoned.

"I still don't understand why you'd want to go after that place," Emerald commented as she shook her head. "As far as I see, it's been abandoned for a reason."

"A middling businessmen merely conducts day-to-day business," I said with a smile. "Royal and Imperial is not a middling business however. So much goods and equipment was left behind in Mount Glenn, hun. We've already reached our limits to expand in Solitas. Trying to take over new territory would just be too expensive. Mount Glenn has everything we need. All that is left is to go and secure it."

"And...the Council is...hesitant," Emerald said slowly, her eyes narrowed. "Is it because they are afraid?"

I nodded. "Afraid of rocking the boat, afraid of bringing the hordes of Grimm inside Vale," I snorted. "I am not going to go and invade from Vale. No, I intend to retake Mount Glenn from somewhere else. No matter what will happen, Vale would be safe."

The Silver Shields were more than ready. These past years were spent in arming, re-arming, and making sure they were more than prepared.

"Who else knows about this?" Emerald asked.

"Just me," I clarified. "If I was going to go and announce it, people would oppose me. Better to ask forgiveness than seek permission, you know?"

Emerald looked at me long and hard, letting my words sink in. "But are you ready to face the consequences of it, no matter what happens?"

I thought of it quietly. I had every reason to be confident that my Shields could take on Mount Glenn and come out on top. But Emerald was right that there was going to be consequences after this, good or bad. "I've contingencies in place for this, hun. Everything will be fine," I assured her. "Once I can get the council off my ass, Mount Glenn shall be reclaimed."

For the Glory of Mankind.

And mine.

Emerald looked towards me, her face conflicted. "We need this, hun," I sighed, leaning forward. Emerald looked up at me.

"It has been many years since the launch of the Sea Dragon and so much has happened," I narrated. "Remnant needs a victory to give people hope. Sea Dragon was one such embers of hope that's continued to burn but fires can grow larger with a little fuel."

I smiled. "And reclaiming this planet one by one, that will be our fuel."

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By the time we had arrived at Vale, it was already morning. We flew past the city however and headed straight to Beacon, landing at one of the available launching pads. There were plenty of such places available as the shuttles sending in new students hadn't even begun to arrive yet. Still, it was good for Emerald to arrive early. As we walked down the ramp, my men depositing numerous bags of Emeralds stuff on rollers for her to push, I talked.

"You know my numbers so if there's an emergency, call them," I rambled, one hand behind my back while the other waved around animatedly. "I will be depositing more funds into your account every week so you don't have to worry about expenses. And if you need backup, you already know the emergency numbers for the Valean Shields here. Just give them a call an-"

"I know," Emerald nodded, walking right next to me. I stopped walking, she stopped walking. I turned to her, my eyes scanning her from boot to hair.

"You've grown." I managed a smile. "I remember when you used to be bones and all."

Emerald snorted, crossing her arms, and did her best to hide the reddening of her cheeks. "People grow. They tend to do that," she muttered under her breath.

Laughter left my lips. "That they do," I nodded in agreement. Silence fell between us two, the humming of my ship's engines, birdsong, and the mundane pushing of carts the only sound that was carried.

"I'm proud of you, Emerald," I said, resisting the sudden tugging in my heart. God, was this how all parents felt when sending their children off to college?

"I'll keep on making you proud," Emerald promised as she looked back to me.

"One last hug before you go and be your own woman?" I asked, my hands raised open. Emerald said nothing. Instead, she just rushed up to bury herself into my chest. She placed her head close, listening to my heartbeat. The world felt slow as I gave my little girl her own time.

Then, Ozpin opened his stupid fucking mouth.

"I assure you, Mister Wayland, that your cousin will be in safe hands," Ozpin announced himself suddenly. Emerald went white as a ghost as she quickly drew away from me. I turned around, quick to hide my annoyance, and smiled.

"Professor Ozpin!" I greeted him with wide open arms. "What a surprise, I thought you were still asleep?"

Ozpin for his part had a steaming mug of coffee in one hand and his long cane on the other. "I was, truthfully. But your ship is rather large, Mister Wayland, and I was awoken by my Assistant Professor regarding the warship now docked at Beacon."

"Ascalon is a yacht, not a warship," I said, turning towards my pleasure craft.

"Coming from you, forgive me if Glynda and I do not believe you," he said after taking a sip from his mug. He turned from me then down to Emerald who quickly tugged at the hem of her pants and offered a graceful bow.

"My name is Emerald Wayland," she introduced herself. "I'm looking forward to learn here in Beacon, Professor."

"I am pleased that you have chosen to study here, Miss Wayland," Ozpin beamed, ever the affable professor. "I assure you, you will be a whole new woman when your education is over."

"Have people arrived already?" Emerald asked.

"You're the first," Ozpin admitted. "The transport shuttles haven't even left Beacon to pick up the aspirants."

"Well, better to arrive early than late. Lumiere is a big ship after all," I chuckled.

"May I explore Beacon in the meantime?" Emerald asked.

"You may," Ozpin acquiesced. "Do make sure to be at the Amphitheatre by eight-thirty. That is where our assembly will be held." 

With that, Emerald offered him a bow. She turned to me briefly, bowing once more, then turned on her heels.

"Have fun," I called out to her. As she walked off, I turned to Professor Ozpin, my erstwhile ally in this struggle against the most evil foe every known to humanity, an exwife. But not just an ordinary one, an evil goth magical shadow Goddess exwife.

"Worry not for Miss Emerald, Mister Wayland," Ozpin again assured me. "I give you my word when I said she is in safe hands."

"Well, I do not doubt she's safe here in Beacon," I said, crossing my hands. "It's outside of Beacon I am worried about like the disturbances here in the city."

Ozpin's eyes flickered with understanding. "We are aware. General Ironwood believes that the Red Fang are up to something. He wants to bring Specialists in but he's been stone-walled by the Fleur."

"A little understandable considering no one likes it when foreign soldiers operates on home turf but it's not as if they have been doing a stellar job with it either," I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I am going to be something about that."

"You surely are not planning to send your Shields to deal with the Red Fang?" Ozpin asked with sudden alarm. I shook my head.

"Nope, mercenaries aren't allowed to operate behind city walls and besides, that's a Valean issue." I shook my head. "No, I intend to do something about that gaping hole to Vale's flank, Mount Glenn."

Ozpin listened quietly. He briefly took another sip of his mug. "What do you intend to do with Mount Glenn?"

"A surprise tool that will help us later," I grinned, bringing up a gloved finger to my lips.

"Mister Wayland, what is there to find in Mount Glenn but ruins and the dead?" Ozpin said bluntly, his glasses trained on me.

"I have a long list as to why I want Mount Glenn, Professor Ozpin, but frankly I am going to be listing those reasons towards the Council. Simply put, this is a nice political statement for all the world to see, that humanity is no longer on the back-foot and we are ready for war."

"Götterdämmerung," Ozpin said simply. I nodded.

"Götterdämmerung muss fliegen, Maschine steigt in den Himmel," I grinned, my tongue spilling out the Old Solitan poem. "Spielend lodern meine Sinne, Maschine trägt unsere Helden!"

"The Twilight of the Gods have arrived. The Machine must rise into the Heavens," Ozpin translated blandly, his face straight and lips thin. "Overwhelming us with emotion, the Machine behelds the heroes."

"Something like that, yes," I nodded. "It's been awhile since anyone's been speaking the Old Tongue."

"The more I spend time with you, Mister Wayland, the more I am concerned about who exactly we have in our midst," Ozpin admitted. "What you propose is dangerous, undoubtedly so. Are you ready to face the consequences of your proposal should it fail?"

"Not unless I win," I smirked. "Humanity has been on the back foot for so long, Professor. We need victories. We need hope again. My Sea Dragon blazed our entrance into the stars. And my Shields will reclaim this planet, piece by piece."

"Have you informed General Ironwood of this?" Ozpin asked.

I shook my head. "Nope. I will only tell him once I can get the Council to stop harping my ass about my plan."

"Then I beg of you, consult the General about your planned offensive before you do anything else. You are an inventor and a businessman, Mister Wayland. Talk with the good General about matters military," He shook his head. "I do not approve of this either. What you propose is far too dangerous."

"I already have consulted my officers about this. They are confident we can pull this off provided that numbers, support, and supply is constant. I am not wholesale keeping General Ironwood out of the loop as I intend to ask him to use the Solitan Navy to support us in this."

This was only a plan to a plan. A precursor to something. But that was going to be a dream unless reclaiming Mount Glenn was done.

"I still do not approve of this," Ozpin shook his head again. "If you do this, I cannot guarantee Beacon's assistance."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I frankly would very much prefer if you keep your students out of this. I will need actual huntsmen and huntresses with me on this, not teenagers."

Those teenagers could lift heavy rock, make gatling guns appear out of their bags, summon ice, and all kinds of fantastic stuff that otherwise qualified them to fight. But as far as I was concerned, they were still teens and mentally wise, not an asset in a battle that was going to take the heart and soul of anyone.

"They would be insulted if they heard that," Ozpin quickly spoke up in defense of his students.

"I have no doubt your students could pack a mean punch and shoot stars out of their hands or something, Professor, but I intend to wage war. I do not want young folk like them to be caught up with the stress of battle." I said honestly and earnestly. "I know going into the field is a part of their curriculum and hell, I know you send them to Mount Glenn sometimes to train but this is different. I intend to bring to Mount Glenn a war that will ravage stone, break the earth, and snuff the air from the sky. I assure you, they are not built for this."

"I hope, for your sake and the rest of our sakes, Mister Wayland, that you conduct our business quietly. We will lose so much if this goes beyond our control." Ozpin sighed.

"I am not contented to be a caged animal, Professor. I do not want a quiet life." I said with utter finality. "I want what everyone wants, something which has bubbled inside the conscious minds of people, buried under their mundane concerns. Totalen Krieg. Total War."

"Forgive me for saying then that I do not think you will find support for such an endeavour," Ozpin prophesied. "I have done this business far longer than you, Mister Wayland. When it comes down to it, they will stop."

"So we give them a victory. And I assure you, once they taste that forbidden fruit, they will not stop."

I've already began to plant seeds with it in the minds of the average Remnanite. The bombastic propaganda, Remnant Divers, Royal and Imperial Entertainment.....

It was only a matter of harvesting this ripe fruit.

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[URL unfurl="true" media="youtube:8OkpRK2_gVs"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OkpRK2_gVs[/URL]

Royal and Entertainment presents: Attack on Titan
Synopsis: It is set in a world where humanity is forced to live in cities surrounded by three enormous walls that protect them from gigantic man-eating humanoids referred to as Titans; the story follows Eren Yeager, who vows to exterminate the Titans after they bring about the destruction of his hometown and the death of his mother. He is accompanied by Mikasa Ackerman, a faunus orphan adopted by his family and Armin Arlert, his childhood bestfriend.

It has been launched with critical success, gaining millions of views with the first episode. Below are some reviews:

"I am going to war over a fictional country I do not even know of," - Hibiscus

"RAAA FOR LIBERTY RAAA" - FluvialParade

"This is nothing but sheer propagandistic slog that Royal and Imperial produces yet for the life of me, my -censored- gets hard yet again. 10/10" - TearsFearsDears.

"Guys, what's inside Eren's basement?" - Jonkler

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A/N: It begins. Well, it has begun but you know what I mean. 

DEATH TO SALEM, GLORY TO MANKIND.