Chapter 5: White Raven Glazing

(((Jaune)))

"Phew.", Jaune wiped his sweat with a towel. Even with their superhuman strength now, hard labor is still hard works.

Soren is digging a new sewer network to flow out the flood water better next season. It take them a week to get their permit passed as they would be digging under the wall for the new sewer to pass under. Now, their new sewer system is halfway done, after a whole month of digging and bricking.

It's the middle of June now, and Summer is at its peak.

It's been a year now, huh.

A year ago, Jaune had died after being mauled by Grimm on his way to Beacon. Instead of passing to afterlife, Jaune had found himself to be spawned into the Dungeon. There, he met the enigmatic younger teen… no, assigning age is pointless for Soren Ravencroft. He had no clue how old is he actually and his stunted growth did not help in that regard.

'What? No, I am still growing. I am totally not a midget,', he might have retort. That thought gives Jaune a chuckle.

Besides, Soren is more adult than anyone he ever known. He had known adults in their 40s more childish than the CEO of White Raven Agency. Jaune never thought Soren to be childish. In fact, he had always depended on Soren for everything, despite being supposedly older.

Soren Ravencroft always seem to know what to do advance forward.

Jaune doesn't known what would have happened to him had it not been Soren taken him in by sheer chance. He looked over the jagged scar that circle his left arm, where it used to be cut off. A month in during their start of the company, Jaune had tried to save a girl from being sold into prostitution But it ended up getting his arm cut off as a result. Soren came in to rescue him, and then after a few hours, he returns to their hut bringing with him a high quality potion. Soren never tell him how did he get it. And he will never tell.

Only the strong get to be heroes. Being weak only cause you trouble. From then on, even if it pained his heart to not do what is right, he keep himself still.

He can't cause trouble for Soren again.

Jaune stares to the signboard of their company. He once asked, why White Raven?

'Raven is the outcast of birds, and white raven is the outcast of ravens. It simply means we are the outcasts among outcasts'

Simply put, they are a bunch of people that simply don't fit in at all with the Orario society. Lily despised the gods and their guilds, Jaune is an alien and Soren is a fraud lying about being a god's guild. Hell, he always degrade the so called Adventurers as nothing more than just overglorified Miners.

Jaune take a deep breath.

He had grieved his death and leaving behind his loved ones a long time ago. And now, he would gain power to protect what is now his newfound family.

This, his swear on the name of Arc.

(((Liliruca)))

Lily loves her new family.

Jaune is like a friendly older brother and always make hood food.

Ryuu? Lily doesn't really know what to say about Ryuu. She is nice but for some reason Lily felt wary of her.

And Lord Soren?

Lord Soren is the best!

Almost a year ago, Lord Soren found her being bullied by Zanis and he killed Zanis for it. Lily was scared at the start, but then Lord Soren came and take her away from Soma.

Jaune never knew this, but Soren had killed plenty of people just to get her out from Soma Familia.

She heard rumors that the manor floors are still tinted in red.

Since then, Lily swore eternal loyalty to Lord Soren. They maybe poor but Lord Soren did his best to provide for his subordinates. He get them a home, clothes, and even food. He risk his life over and over again gathering the magic rocks to empower them. Lord Soren is a true leader, unlike Zanis who only know how to use and discard his people.

Now, Lord Soren had did it once again. He gains a great boon and their life is finally turning around. The half rubble church is now a proper company house, and the yard is finally fenced and ploughed to be made into garden for proper use. Lord Soren even went as far as to remake the sewer system to decrease if not solves the flooding, and clear out the land under the newly named Raven Hill to be made into community garden where they can grow their own crops and small livestock.

Instead of just using the money to move to a more decent home, Lord Soren had instead invest back into slums and start to rebuild the district, little by little. New homes are built out of stones and bricks stacked five floors high to make some space and replaced to shabby huts made out of leftover planks. Lord Soren's money is not enough to clear out the slum at once by hiring construction guilds, but he had said that he had spared 300 million solely to redevelop the now renamed Raven District.

With the new economy that Lord Soren had injected into the community through opening new jobs by hiring slumdogs as builders, other small business starts to sprout. Lord Soren does not shy away from giving appropriate wages to his builders, now taken under his wings as White Raven Constructions. He donates money so that local housewives can open up their own food stalls and other necessary works like seamstress, farmer, rancher and so on. The economy is reviving and Raven District is changing from a slum to a proper population center.

Of course, there were those who tried to resist the change and those who tried to take advantage of it. Raven District used to be controlled by 3 different gangs. Middling Level 1s that abandoned their own guilds. However, Lord Soren may be a magnanimous lord to his subjects, however he is the devil to his enemies. In a single night, Lord Soren, Jaune and Ryuu had wiped out all 200 members of the gangs controlling the slum. The took a tight grip to the slum's control and established the White Raven Securities, which hires lower Level 1s from various guilds to maintain law and order within the district.

Lily was excited to the massive change Lord Soren is bringing to the Raven District to life. However she's also worried. Lord Soren always says they must always avoid attention.

So why is he so bold now?

((((Hephaestus))))

As she had thought, Soren Ravencroft is a revolutionary.

When she gave him the generous price for his ideas, she had simply thought that Soren would just be like any other poor kid with money and spent it recklessly, moving to luxury locations and starts to party to reward himself for his hard work.

Clearly, she had underestimated his work ethics.

After a week of sending her security team to guard the budding talent as she thought he will move away from the slum, Soren had proceed to come to her receptionist, asked to arrange an appointment and wait. She granted it immediately, curious of what will Soren do this time.

He proceed to ask why he is being surveilled by her.

Never had she met a mortal as bold as Soren Ravencroft. It was as if he is not intimidated by divine presence at all. Not only he found out about her secret security team, which she will question later over how bad they screwed up later by the way, Soren had also just barge into her office, as politely as possible and just asked to her straight up as to why he is being surveilled.

She explains her reasoning, and instead of demanding she pulled back her security team and give him his well deserved privacy, he proceed to ask.

'How far are you willing to have your team interfere in case of an enemy guild invade into Raven District?'

She had given him her answers, and he proceed to spend 300million Vali to launch Raven District Redevelopment Project. Just like that. He had completely taken advantage her goodwill to protect him and proceed to launch the boldest in-your-face construction plan in Orario history in 50 years. All while hiding behind the Hephaestus Guild brand to shoo away any sabotage.

And she was not even mad! The damned mortal is so brazen, so bold that she can't even feel mad for being taken advantage like that! If anything, she was impressed!

Is this why the gods are so fond of the heroes of old times that they descended to Genkai just to be closer to these bold mortals? Hephaestus never really get the fascination herself, her reason for descending was simply to pass her time trying out material from the Dungeon to forge. Then, Soren Ravencroft happened.

That young man is definitely a revolutionary. And he is just beginning to topple the status quo of Orario.

(((Soren)))

Hmm, my ears are so itchy these days.

"Lord Soren, another minor Construction God want to sign as a member of White Raven Constructions."

"Damnit, I told you to relay all construction subsidiary matter to Brokkr! He's the CEO now! I'm the Chairman! You don't tell the Chairman to do work!"

"Oh, then, about White Raven Securities, Shani Dev want to send his Level 1 children into our Guardsmen Academy program."

"Then tell that to Themis! What's the point do I made her CEO if you're still reporting to me?!! And again the deal is that they work as my Guardsmen for five full years! No exception! I appointed the fucking Goddess of Justice precisely so that she actually keep to the letter of contract!"

"Sir, about White Raven Agriculture?"

I raised my fist with shaking rage. The secretary get the message and bolt out of my office.

I lie down on my sofa for this months of headache I had to deal with.

This is all Hephy fault I swear!

Its now late October. Winter gonna start anytime now and constructions gonna be halted for the time being. Man I hope the fucking sewers works. I am not going to be amused if my new buildings collapsed from the fucking flood next spring.

How the fuck do I get here.

I knew the big ass money Hephy gave me is cursed!

In May, I was happy to get a lot of money. Never been that rich my life. I thought, okay, now I can make some proper house with this money, maybe clear the fucking sewer so that the fucking street rats don't barge in my house next flood. That's all I want to did really

Then, I found the poorly disguised Hephy Security team that really can't figure out their clothes is too clean to pretend they're hobos and no hobo has that much meat on their bones. So, I go to Hephy to ask, what's up.

The result was, I proceed to enter panic mode.

Oh for fucks sake Hephy! You just sent every spotlight on me with your stupid surveillance. My plan was supposed to be an anonymous inventor scoring the big lottery, then fade away to obscurity.

Because of you, I got every eyes on me! Like hell, the moment Syr greet me randomly at Daedalus Street, I bolt my ass to my room and didn't get out for a week until I'd done devising my big plan to solve this crisis.

Problem: Big Factions notice I exist

Solution: Make my own Big Faction and hide behind Hephy's back.

Dear lord, I got seizures from cringe overdose as everyone calls me Lord Soren Ravencroft, the most kind and magnanimous. The greatest philanthropist of the decade. The One of Us. The Unifier of the Labor Class. The President of the biggest gods alliance.

At this rate, I'm going to have 10 times longer title list than Daenerys Targaryen.

One minute I was just another street rat then zuppp, I become the Sect Patriarch of Hao Clan. LORD, I hope you get that fucking joke!

Fucking Hephy seriously! You completely ruin the plot of this fanfic!

Here I am, Chairman of White Raven Group, the first conglomerate of Orario. And I did it in just a few months by scamming minor no name gods of Construction, Agricultural and Justice domains into an unprecedented alliance. All under me. Somehow.

Need rocks? Get Earth Magic users to make rocks. The soil is trash? Get Plant Magic users to fertilize the soils. Oh, public safety? Let Justice Gods deal with that. They're all discipline addicts anyway. Do you know why I bring in all those gods and their familia members under my banner? Coz I am cheapskating on material cost and need to cheat using Magic to aid my Civil Engineering efforts to transform this fucking slum into Raven District, the up and coming modern, efficient and beautiful town.

Badabing badaboom, somehow I made 3 subsidiary companies and established a powerhouse. I have zero idea how the hell I even convinced all those gods to unite under my banner. Weren't they supposed to be immune to lying?

Guys, I have zero idea what am I doing! Help me! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Aaaaaaa

Hahahahhahah

Ahahahhahahahha

Ahahhahahah

Aaaaaaahaaaa haaaa haaaaa…..

Man, just when I thought this is gonna be a normal fanfic. And then it proceed to went into insanity as usual.

Fuuuucccckkkkkkk!!!!!!

I don't wanna work anymore!

I kicked the door of my office and went to Ryuu's.

"Ryuu! I need you for a conference call!"

She was interviewing someone I think. Some chick with gray hair. Probably not my problem. Whatever. I left and go back to my office. Expecting her to come soon.

Ryuu enters 5 minutes later and locked the door. I was already lied on the sofa, but she then lifted my head, sat and placed my head on her lap and massage my aching head.

"Another stressful day, I assume?"

"yea yea. I really need to decentralize the pecking order soon. I'm going to die if I have to manage all these companies. And I heard the Medicine Gods had drafted a proposal to make a Pharmaceutical company under the White Raven banner. Fucking assholes, just make the damn thing yourself! Why did everyone thinks I care about their problems?!"

"shhh… let it go. Deal with it later.", Ryuu sooth me.

Man, at the start she was really reluctant with this head massage thing but now she's just does it with no fuss. I guess she really understand now how much of a headache I am having with this nonsense.

Hahaha… I bet when I said in Chapter 3 ending that the change in the world I caused would be firearms running rampant in Orario and cause chaos right? That's what you think, right?

Hahaha, worse. I had caused the beginning of the era of Corpo Wars in Orario. This fanfic title is now unofficially known as 'Surviving as a Corpo Lord in Orario'.

I am so fucked.

"Ryuu, you are a treasure and never let yourself believe otherwise.", I drifted off to sleep.

Man this feel comfy.