Chapter 176: African Alliance
"… Son, I think you should take some time off and rest.
Let me handle the problems." Daniel looked quite concerned for his son.
He voiced his thoughts after they entered the Invictus SUV outside the Necthea Institute.
"*Sigh* I would Dad, but there is too much to do before September rolls around." Esmond flatly crashed into his seat while Carter poured him a glass of Spiritual Essence infused champagne.
"Like what son?"
"Well… we've just created our own Private Law Firm by incorporating existing Firms that are close to utter collapse.
Our Private Law Firm will operate throughout Europe and the United States but it's taking longer than I expected to gather competent lawyers who want to push themselves.
Right now, I told the Firm to focus on the wrongly sentenced cases in the American and European justice system.
I expect them to find more problems in the American prison system than anywhere else, but most lawyers don't want to waste their time fighting cases in another state.
They want more money and its quickly turning into a headache, even though the lawyers will have the assistance of Virtual Profile Intelligences."
"… If I remember correctly, Trident Foedus is a law firm in service of the Empire.
Esmond, why haven't you contacted them?" Maximilianto looked over at Esmond curiously.
By this point, Maximilianto expected Esmond would have been in contact with the outside forces of the Empire situated around the world.
"I did Grandpa.
*Sigh* However the Firm has several members on its board who won't accept the merger.
Because they aren't members of the Empire, it'll be hard to convince them to accept the buyout of the firm.
Instead, I recently found out they are actually avoiding my authority because they don't recognise it.
Even after they saw the Live Feed of the Trial!"
Esmond was furious but decided to contain his aura because it made the interior of the SUV stuffy and uncomfortable.
"… Leave it to us, Esmond.
I'll get your mother to help with the family Private Law Firm, while your Grandfather and I deal with the insubordinate lawyers." Daniel and Maximilianto didn't waste time and contacted their aides immediately through their new Prime-Watches.
Prime-Watches were the renamed Wristveins and WristBands which function similarly to a smartphone.
Daniel and Maximilianto had their own Prime-Watches which included a personalised Virtual Profile Intelligence.
Esmond watched on as his father and grandfather aggressively called their aides, asking why the hell Atlaesus Citizens weren't answering their True Lord's call.
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"It's quite different compared to the 'Past'…" Carter said slyly, knowing full well Esmond would understand what he meant.
Esmond's previous lives never consisted of a healthy family life, so to see Daniel and Maximilianto supporting Esmond was like discovering a unicorn, but it instead had 5 horns.
"Hmm…" Choosing not to reply, Esmond groaned before he enjoyed the champagne in peace, leaving Carter to smile as his listened to the two father figures fighting for Esmond.
'Times truly do change for the better…' Carter thought to himself as he copied Esmond and relaxed as Reigo picked up the pace to arrive at the Cabin Manor within the next 15 minutes.
But whereas Esmond could take a moment to rest, Carter wasn't so lucky as Echo made connect with important news.
"What's the problem Echo?
I'm trying to enjoy my damn bubbly glass of champagne."
"Screw your damn champagne." Echo couldn't be bothered to deal with Carter's nonsense but failed to think of the ammo he'd just provided Carter.
Gasping in a dramatic fashion, Carter playfully shouted "Blasphemy!!" at the clear image of Echo on the other end of the call through the Prime-Watch HUD.
"… Why doesn't our family have one sane person at the very least…?"
"Hahaha… stop your whining.
Now tell me, what's wrong, Echo?"
"*Sigh* The United Nations wants answers from the African Union."
As Echo started to explain the new problem that arose, Maximilianto decided to inform Esmond about their impending family trip to Europe.
"Esmond, make sure your available to visit England during the beginning of July.
We're going to Prince Philip's birthday party where you can finally meet your British cousins."
"Wait… what?!" Esmond just pieced his grandfather's words together before his father dealt the finishing blow.
"Our family is connected to House Windsor through House Wettin.
Since House Windsor is a Branch House connected to a German Dynasty formed in the service of House Atlaesus, the British Royals are essentially our cousins.
In saying that, I hope you can create some sort of connection with Harry and William.
I'm sure they can help with your business operations across Britain."
Esmond could only listen with shocked silence as he tried to process the news that he was related to the British monarchy.
.
Sometime before Esmond became aware of his connection to the British monarchy, an eventful breakfast at Buckingham Palace.
"Grandmother, is it true House Atlaesus will be attending Grandfather's birthday party?" William asked his Grandmother, the Queen of the United Kingdom.
The rumour of their attendance had reached the ears of every House Windsor member.
In particular, William and Harry hoped to meet their cousins from a hidden Empire.
Even though they were long distant cousins in the grand scheme of things, William and Harry always wanted to know about their cousins from the Hidden Empire since they sounded mysterious and elusive.
"Yes William.
Both of you boys will need to be on your best behaviour, especially in front of your young cousin.
Also, you need to sharpen your combat skills as the age-old tradition of Knight battles will occur.
Either of you could be pulled into the fight, so it's best to focus on your training." Queen Elizabeth addressed her two grandchildren while making sure her voice reached the other members of House Windsor present during the family breakfast.
More than anyone, Elizabeth didn't want House Windsor to faulter in front of the Great Imperial House Atlaesus because it would display weakness.
On the other hand, she was excited to meet the Emperor who only communicated with her through letters.
.
Unfortunately, not everyone saw Esmond and his family in good light.
"… Those bastards believe they can come and take everything we've painstakingly built!!
If I ever get a hold of those bastards, I'll slaughter them with my bare hands!!"
"*Sigh* Son… calm yourself.
We don't have the power to perform such feats, which automatically will alienate us from the Empire.
For now, we can only wait and see how the authorities of the Empire will deal with us." A grey-haired gentlemen lounged in his favourite chair in front of the fireplace.
After retiring from the multinational Trident Foedus Law Firm, the grey haired and fit man passed on the business to his son.
Everything ran well in the hands of his son, only to recently find itself in a tough situation where the business would merge with another firm of the Empire.
The grey-haired aged man didn't see any issues with the proposal of the Empire, since they held create the business into the multinational powerhouse it was today.
His son on the other hand didn't approve of the proposal sent to the business, and instead lied to protect his influence and wealth machine.
Trident Foedus Law Firm carried a lot of influence in the United States political landscape, so the son of the grey-haired man believed himself to be untouchable.
However, his father knew the brutal truth about the Hidden Empire.
His son refused to visit the Hidden Empire because he viewed America as his true homeland.
"To hell with this!!
I'll call my friends in congress and inform them about Atlaesus!
If the so called 'True Lord' wants my company, then he'll need to reveal the precious Empire his family has supposedly safeguarded hahaha!!"
The old man hid his disgust for his own son as the father-son duo sat across from each other, enjoying the warm comfort of the fireplace.
'*Sigh* I might as well focus on saving what little remains of my family from my son's suicidal quest.'
…
..
.
"Interim Secretary President of the African Union, Hayaan Omar Dubad.
We… Recommend… that the Union investigates the operational development of the Phantom Security Services.
General Secretary Ban Ki-moon has asked for the African Union to remove the influence and control of the Private Military Corporation, even if its 'supposedly' benefitting the continent.
Many different western banks and corporations are more than ready to enter the African Market and help advance the quality of life across the vast land."
A spokesperson for the U.N addressed Hayaan with a slightly threatening tone, but the man and his team failed when the Somalian President told them to leave his offices.
"You can return to your General Secretary and take along my message of no.
He approved of the Private Military Corporation to take action in the first place.
It's his job to accept any fault regarding his earlier choice, even if I know the General Secretary Ban Ki-moon is grateful for the actions of the Phantom Security Services.
As much as you might wish to force my hand to accept the ruling of the United Nations, its clearly evident the organisation isn't impartial as it's made out to be.
Now I would like for you to leave."
Hayaan left his offices and called Echo right away, after he set up a meeting for the African Union members to gather immediately.
Morocco was the only nation to be excluded from the call because the nation wasn't ruled by someone in Esmond's employ and service.
However, the African Leaders present in the virtual meeting were surprised to find their Lord and several other individuals' part of the meeting.
"Good evening, everyone.
I didn't believe the need for such a setting would be utilised so early on, but the times aren't so simple anymore." Esmond addressed the crowd of national leaders from his seat, with his grandfather and father present.
Carter also joined the meeting but remained quiet for now since Esmond was talking.
"It's become evident to us all that the United Nations is being persuaded by the greater national powers of the world.
Ban Ki-moon is being made out as the scapegoat, even though we have clear evidence that the General Secretary has wanted to employ Phantom Security Services on a larger scale.
The current situation puts the entire continent in a tough situation, but I can guarantee Africa will not end up in the hands of foreign powers."
Esmond's little speech was enough to rile up the African Leaders to calm down from the cliffs edge as they all wondered about the U.N and its threat.
However, the African Leaders didn't get a chance to speak up after Esmond since an invited guest had their own thoughts on the subject matter.
"… Esmond, have you thought about establishing a continental governance structure which will oversee each nation and their conduct per the rules and laws of the continental organisation.
You could then set up the Phantom Security Services as an enforcement and management agency that works with the continental organisation.
Essentially, each government would provide a portion of the GDP to the continental organisation, whose job is to maintain order, justice, equality, and fairness across Africa.
Besides that, they will work to broaden the strength of the African continent on an international scale.
You can also position the Phantom Security Services to protect the borders of the continent, if you please." Maximilianto just spoke the first thoughts that came to his mind after he assessed the situation.
His ignorance helped elevate the value of his words with several African Leaders moving ahead with the stranger's plan.
Gatimu of Kenya promoted the value of removing borders and cost of transnational transport.
Andre of Cameroon asked for several transnational agencies to be formed, since there wasn't anyone overseeing the management of the Nile and Vita Nova River, which was being created by the Construction Androids.
Louis also added the need to deal with social and cultural issues like sexuality.
Homosexuality as finally accepted across Africa, by law.
Unfortunately, there were plenty of people who ignored the governments and did as they pleased.
Phantom Security Services always tried to intervene before things went too far, but sometimes they couldn't save the victims before it was too late.
Hayaan decided to lead the virtual meeting as Esmond wasn't willing to involve himself too much in their troubles.
He watched beside his father and grandfather, who joined the conversation every so often until the African Leaders asked for their name.
Everyone was surprised to learn about Daniel and Maximilianto, but it didn't supersede the importance of the virtual meeting.
Some African Leaders asked for their help with the management of the Continental Governing Body, which led to Daniel declining the position of the grounds of his status as Regent Imperial Crown Prince.
Maximilianto however accepted the role because he wanted to see the Continental Governing Body move in the right direction, as he envisioned in his mind.
Eventually the virtual meeting concluded with Hayaan preparing to host a media conference for the end of the day.
Forces of the Spatial Ark Star World rushed out to help the African Union realise their ambitions plan before 5pm in the afternoon because it would be too late by then.
Phantom Security Services was rushing around to fulfil its new role in the grand scheme of things, with their naval ships positioning themselves neatly around the African continent over the next few hours.
Agents of the United Nation were trying to find out why the Phantom Security Services started to move around frantically but nobody came to a census.
In the end the Agents could only watch the afternoon Liber Tellus Global News channel to find out the African Union was reforming into the African Alliance.
It was continent wide organisation that had members from every nation across Africa, whose main job was to oversee the national governments and find any corruption.
Improving the life and welfare of every African was also crucial for the African Alliance, including the development of the land.
Phantom Security Services became the enforcement agency to support the African Alliance in their efforts, which created more headaches for the U.N and global powers.
While this was all happening, Esmond was resting in the Lounge Hall of the Cabin Manor with his cousins and family around.
Everyone was watching Die Another Day and enjoying each other's company.
Zaro and the others were around as well and partaking in the family dinner, but they left with Esmond after greeting everyone before shifting over to the PSS Necthea.
The new members of the expanded Atlaesusian Syndicate joined as well before leaving to explore the Starship.
They wanted to see how it felt to be out in deep space for real.
Esmond was glad most of the Atlaesusian Syndicate kept themselves busy since he needed to meet with Philippa and the Commander of the Obadia Fleet.
The Spatial Ark Star World was about to release the Star Alcazar into the Tartarus Zone, and Esmond wanted to see if the two forces were still willing to join his endeavours.
Esmond planned for the Star Alcazar Megastructure to appear near a nebula beside an undiscovered habitable planet of the Zone.
Carter already sent out the Marble Communication Satellites to gather data for the Spatial Ark Star World, so the Star Alcazar Megastructure would appear before Esmond and the Ark Fleet arrived.
The plan was to take over the habitable planet, only for it to transform into a mecca within the Zone.
Esmond planned to invite the Mercenary Association once the planet was seized and the necessary infrastructure was set up.
.
Just when Esmond tried to organise a meeting with his counterparts, his cousin Quailiyah informed him about the current state of the Obadia Fleet and Bloodied Princess after the crews visited the Titan Class Ship.
"Kristoff and Rian decided to equip them with Full Body Dive Gear so they could join the 'Atlaesusian Syndicate'.
Those two dumbasses are way too invested in the game, that they gave away technology without thinking of the consequences."
"Who said we didn't think about the 'Consequences'…?" Rian and Kristoff interrupted the private meeting between Esmond and Quailiyah.
Even Yvetteya joined the two men, only to indulge herself in Esmond's Spiritual infused Essence liquor.
"*Sigh* Why did you hand the Obadia Fleet our technology and what do you mean by your statement, Rian?" Esmond leaned back in his seat with Yvetteya handing him a glass of scotch since she knew the conversation wasn't going to be simple.
"After the Mobile Drydocks were added to the Titan Class Starship, the crewmen of the Obadia Fleet and Bloodied Princess found themselves to be bored.
Eventually people started to visit the different cities of the Titan Class Starship, but everyone eventually found themselves visiting the VR Halls.
They started playing 'Renaissance of Urophael' at first but quickly moved over to Stellar Wars after the saw the hidden value of the game.
Scientists of the Obadia Fleet rushed over to the Titan Class Ship and asked to play Stellar Wars.
Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, I enticed them all to join the Atlaesusian Syndicate, but I never expected this to draw the rest of the Obadia Fleet to join.
Soon enough they asked for their own Full Body Dive Gear units.
With Echo's help, we provided them with the necessary units, but the equipment was made to be sealed, so other parties couldn't steal the technology.
Anyway, the Obadia Fleet spends most of their time either training or eating before jumping back into Stellar Wars." Kristoff explained to Esmond, only for Rian to add some points as well.
"Commander Sofriya and other Noblesse House members are interested in increasing the operational size of the Atlaesusian Syndicate in the Zone.
This included Vucope, where we have opened our first store and warehouse.
Even Captain Philippa asked for responsibilities to help the Atlaesusian Syndicate, as it'll help the Ark Fleet and Alliance.
Honestly little cousin, the game has worked wonders for our forces in the Zone."
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