26 - The Birth of Raven’s Shadow

Lucien leaned back in his chair, eyes scanning the intricate network Aldric had laid out before him. At first, he had expected a rough concept—some vague outline of an intelligence network, maybe a few ideas on recruitment. But this?

This was something else entirely.

"You planned all of this?" Lucien finally asked, incredulity creeping into his voice. "What the hell is this?!"

Aldric allowed himself a knowing smirk. "Did you think I was asking for funding on a whim? No, Lucien. A plan built from studying every flaw in the world's existing intelligence networks. The noble houses have spies, but they work alone, selling information to the highest bidder. The king has agents, but they lack the autonomy to act beyond his orders. The church keeps records, but they hoard information rather than use it."

He leaned forward, his voice lowering. "Raven's Shadow will own information. We won't just react to the world—we'll shape it."

Lucien exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. He ran a hand through his hair before letting out a low chuckle. "Damn. And to think I was just investing in a few informants and spies."

His fingers twitched as he scanned the parchment again, his pulse quickening with every new section. Assassination, manipulation, control over trade, war, politics—it was all there, seamlessly woven into a machine that could dominate nations from the shadows. Any weak points he tried to find, Aldric had already accounted for. There were contingencies for infiltration, counter-intelligence measures to prevent betrayal, and a structured command chain ensuring no single failure would bring the entire operation down.

Lucien swallowed hard, gripping the parchment as if he were holding the weight of the future itself. "You're talking about controlling the very tides of power. Not just surviving court politics, but directing it like a puppeteer."

Aldric smirked. "Exactly." He tapped his finger against one section, his voice dropping lower, each word carrying the weight of calculated ambition.

"Raven's Gaze will place informants in every noble court, army, and guild. They'll report everything—rumors, secrets, the smallest political shifts before they even become threats."

Lucien nodded slowly, absorbing the sheer scale of it. "And what about ensuring no information leek? Spies are notorious for selling to the highest bidder."

Aldric's smirk deepened. "We give them a reason to be uncorruptable. The carrot and the stick."

Lucien arched a brow. "Go on."

Aldric leaned back, folding his hands. "First, the carrot. We make them feel important. A Raven's Gaze isn't just a spy—they're an asset. We pay them well, protect their families, and help them climb higher. A merchant who feeds us trade secrets sees his business thrive. A noble who shares court gossip gains an edge over his rivals. A servant with useful information suddenly finds their sick child treated by the best healer money can buy."

Lucien's lips curled in appreciation. "And in doing so, they start to rely on us."

Aldric nodded. "Exactly. Loyalty is strongest when it's built on mutual benefit.

Aldric's paused before continuing. "As for the Stick.—Leverage. Everyone has something they fear, something they love. We'll own both. Those we recruit will either be given a reason to serve us… or a reason to fear what happens if they turn against us."

Lucien let out a low whistle. "A perfect balance. Give them a future worth serving… and a fate worth fearing."

Aldric merely shrugged, a knowing glint in his eyes. "That is how you build true loyalty."

Aldric shifted the parchment, his fingers tracing over another section. His voice was steady, deliberate. "Raven's Claw won't just kill. They'll remove enemies strategically—surgical strikes that alter the course of entire nations."

Lucien leaned in, intrigued. "Elaborate."

Aldric's lips curled into a faint smirk. He tapped the first scenario. "A merchant whose death disrupts supply chains. Imagine a rival kingdom preparing for war, stockpiling weapons, grain, and medicine. We don't need to march an army to weaken them—we simply eliminate the merchant controlling their supply lines. Caravans are delayed. Goods rot before they reach the troops. Prices skyrocket. Soldiers go hungry before they ever see battle."

Lucien exhaled sharply, nodding in appreciation. "You starve the war before it begins."

Aldric moved to the next. "A noble whose disappearance ignites civil war in his house. Politics is fragile. Some noble families are held together by a single, dominant figure. Remove him, and suddenly his heirs are at each other's throats, factions form, and instead of plotting against us, they're too busy tearing themselves apart."

Lucien chuckled darkly. "And by the time the dust settles, we've already positioned our own pawns in the chaos."

Aldric met his gaze, pleased by how quickly Lucien grasped the implications. "Precisely." He then pointed to the final and most crucial tactic. "A general assassinated just before battle."

Lucien leaned forward, anticipation in his eyes. "You're not just cutting off the head of the army. You're ensuring they collapse before the first charge."

Aldric nodded. "Generals are more than just warriors. They are morale. They are strategy. Kill one the night before battle, and suddenly you have thousands of men waking up leaderless, uncertain, vulnerable. Command falls to an unprepared subordinate, fear spreads like wildfire, and before they even march, they're already broken."

Lucien ran a hand down his face, shaking his head in admiration. "You're turning war into a game of puppets and shadows."

Aldric exhaled, his gaze sharp as steel. "It always was. We're just ensuring we pull the strings."

Lucien sat back, drumming his fingers against the table as he tried to fully grasp the magnitude of what was unfolding before him. "You're planning to manipulate everything—trade, military movements, succession disputes. You could turn kings into pawns."

Aldric chuckled, tapping the parchment with finality. "Kings already are pawns. They just don't know it yet."

Lucien exhaled slowly, his excitement mixing with a strange sense of awe. He had thought he was merely backing Aldric's plans for a guild-run intelligence network, but this? This was beyond anything the nobles, the king, or even foreign powers could imagine. And the best part? He would be at the helm of it alongside Aldric.

Aldric nodded. "We start with the dispossessed—orphans, refugees, outcasts, veterans abandoned by their lords. People with no allegiance, no future. We give them purpose, train them, mold them into something greater."

He leaned forward, his tone measured. "But understand this—we won't force anyone. They'll come willingly, knowing exactly what they're stepping into. No illusions, no false promises. If they join, they do so with full awareness that leaving won't be easy. Once inside, they become part of something far bigger than themselves. There's no turning back without consequences."

A slow smirk tugged at his lips. "That's why we make the choice worth it. A life of security, power, and influence they could never dream of otherwise. We give them a reason to stay."

Lucien's eyes narrowed slightly. "And what about betrayal? What if someone leaks information?"

Aldric's expression darkened, his sharp intellect cutting through the air like a blade. "Loyalty is fickle, Lucien. Some can be bought, others bound by ideology, but the most reliable are those who are given something greater than themselves to serve. That's why we don't just create spies—we create believers."

He leaned back, folding his arms. "But belief alone isn't enough. If I ask them to give their lives, I must offer them something in return. A future—even when they can no longer fight for it."

Lucien frowned. "What do you mean?"

Aldric tapped a section of the parchment, revealing a structure labeled "Raven's Refuge." "Spies, assassins, informants… they don't grow old in comfort, Lucien. Most intelligence networks discard their agents the moment they become liabilities. I refuse to do that."

Lucien's skepticism was evident. "You're saying you'll keep them on? Even when they're too old or too injured to be useful?"

Aldric nodded firmly. "Yes. Those who can no longer work in the field will be given options. They can retire under our protection, or if they still wish to serve, they will become instructors—training the next generation in espionage, combat, and intelligence gathering. Experience is the greatest weapon, and I refuse to waste it."

Lucien studied Aldric for a long moment before letting out a low chuckle. "So that's your answer to betrayal? Give them a reason to stay—one that's stronger than fear?"

Aldric leaned back, his expression unwavering. "Loyalty isn't demanded. It's earned. And we take care of our own."

He gestured to a set of sealed documents on the table. "Every member of the Raven's Shadow is given an identity—a name, a purpose, and a future. We don't let them disappear into the shadows without meaning."

"The Raven's Will." He tapped the document pushing it towards Lucien. "Each member is assigned a unique identifier. Their records are secured, their existence acknowledged. If captured, we fight to bring them back. If they fall, we retrieve them. And if that isn't possible…" His voice dropped slightly, more solemn. "We return something of them—a dagger, a ring, a pen. Something they held dear, passed to those who remain."

He folded his hands together. "But we don't just honor the dead—we safeguard their legacy. One-third of a fallen member's salary goes to their imediate family for life. Their children? Full tuition, no debts. If their family needs food, they receive rations, no questions asked."

His gaze hardened. "No man is forgotten. No sacrifice is in vain. That is what we offer."

Aldric smirked. "Fear fades. But purpose? Purpose lasts."

Lucien sat in stunned silence, his usual sharp wit dulled by the weight of Aldric's words. He had expected ruthlessness, cunning—another cold, calculated move to ensure unwavering obedience. But this… this was something else entirely.

He exhaled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You… you've built more than an empire in the shadows. You've built a home."

His fingers traced the edge of the parchment, lingering over the words that ensured no man was left behind. "Most leaders rule through fear, through power, through the ever-looming threat of abandonment." He looked up, eyes filled with something close to admiration. "But you offer something different. A reason to stay. A cause worth dying for."

Lucien let out a quiet, almost breathless laugh. "With this your people would rather burn the world down than betray you."

He leaned back, crossing his arms. "It's terrifying. And, gods help me, it's brilliant."

Lucien stared at him for a moment before letting out a short laugh. "You're more sentimental than I thought."

Aldric smirked. "Call it sentiment if you like. I call it strategy. A network that discards its own becomes weaker over time. People fight harder when they know they won't just be thrown away."

Lucien considered that, then gave a slow nod. "I suppose that makes sense." He glanced at the parchment again. 

While Lucien occupied in his thoughs.

Aldric added in "And while were at it. Injuries. People will be in constant danger. If they get wounded, they'll need more than just a place to retire." Aldric smiles a mysterious way.

"I have plans for that as well… but they're not ready yet."

Lucien narrowed his eyes. "Plans?"

Aldric explains. "I intend to create a place where people—agents and commoners alike—can receive medical treatment, where trained alchemists and pharmacists can work to heal rather than harm."

Lucien blinked. "You mean like a healer's guild?"

Aldric shook his head. "No. Something larger. An institution dedicated solely to medicine, where healing isn't a privilege reserved for nobles but a service available to all." He glanced at Lucien, amused by his confusion.

Lucien leaned forward. "And you're calling this…?"

Aldric's lips quirked up. "A hospital."

Lucien frowned. "Hospital? That's not a word."

"It will be."

Lucien rubbed his temple. "Aldric, every time I think I've grasped the full extent of your madness, you throw something even more ridiculous at me."

Aldric chuckled. "You'll understand in time. For now, my focus remains on Raven's Shadow. The hospital can come later."

Lucien exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Fine. But I expect a full explanation when you actually start making this thing real, anything that comes from that head of your sure to be interesting."

Aldric smirked. "Of course."

Lucien sighed, leaning back once more. "Damn it, Aldric. You're not just building a spy network. You're reshaping the world."

Aldric simply smiled. "That's the plan."

Lucien felt a chill run down his spine. He had seen intelligence networks before—lords bribing informants, kings using agents for covert missions. But what Aldric was building? It wasn't just a network. It was a cult of shadows.

"And the leadership?" Lucien pressed, eager to hear more.

Aldric gestured to the parchment. "A core leadership structure prevents chaos. The Grandmaster—myself and you—oversees everything, but the real strength comes from the Shadow Council. Specialists who ensure that no single individual holds all the knowledge."

He pointed to each division:

• (Raven's Gaze) Espionage & Infiltration – Operatives who blend into courts, guilds, and military ranks.

• (Raven's Claws) Assassination & Sabotage – Elite killers who strike with precision.

• (Raven's Call) Propaganda & Influence – Masters of deception who shape public perception.

• (Raven's Feathers) Counter-Intelligence – Agents tasked with rooting out enemy spies.

• (Raven's Wings) Logistics & Resources – The hidden force that ensures operations never lack funding or supplies.

"And the funding, my life savings won't be enough," Lucien stated, though he already had an idea.

Aldric smirked. "Trade, smuggling, investments in merchant ventures, even taxation from the underworld. We don't just steal—we own the systems that fund our enemies."

Lucien let out a laugh, shaking his head. "You truly are terrifying."

Lucien's grin widened, anticipation gleaming in his eyes. "So, how soon can we set this into motion?"

Aldric leaned back, exuding quiet confidence. "With your funding? We can lay the foundation and have the core operations running almost immediately."

Lucien's grin widened, his mind already racing with the possibilities. "Then consider my entire fortune at your disposal. By the gods, Aldric, I can't wait to see this in action."

Aldric and Lucien finalized the finer details of the plan, leaving only the implementation.

Aldric leaned back, his gaze sharp. "Now that the system is in place, I want the basics operational as soon as possible. We need to move on the investigating the two fugitives."

Lucien, momentarily distracted by the sheer scale of Aldric's vision, blinked as he recalled their original objective. "Right. I'll reach out to my contacts and secure manpower to investigate—discreetly, of course."

Aldric nodded. "Good. Let's get started."