"Certainly not. After you."

She smiles and heads off, looking for the center of any resistance.

There's not much that can stand up to two Exalted backed up by a professional army; Wyld's people's training also shines rather brightly. They don't loot, or set fires even on accident, or get distracted from their missions, or break their formations, and they work seamlessly with the animals Wyld's trained. The advance is slower than undisciplined raiders might have managed, giving Wyld more information about who needs backup and chances to relay orders. They spare and secure anyone who surrenders.

Wyld has fun with the pockets of resistance, naturally.

Watching Wyld have fun is almost as entertaining as participating.

Wyld definitely enjoys having Luc' there, so it all balances out.

Once they've stopped finding guards willing to fight back, when the sun's about to rise: "I'm going to have my people handle announcing the regime change in each district; figure I can save addressing the town as a whole for later. For now - I'd like to find the mayor's house and see what's on offer for breakfast." And possibly take a nap. "Care to join me?"

"I think I will. A shame to cut our reunion short already."

Broad smile.

She's apparently already had the mayor imprisoned, with his wife and children escorted to the wife's parents under armed guard. His slaves are still in residence; Wyld tells them they're free, but that a broad curfew is still in effect, so they'll have to stay on the manor's grounds until the town is sorted out. She refuses any offers to serve her, taking over the kitchen for herself.

"Want anything?" she asks Luc' while sorting through ingredients.

"Let's see what's on offer," she says, moving to join Wyld.

Vegetables, spices, eggs, poultry, breads, tea, sugar, honey, candies... Most of it rather disproportionately fine, given what nearly everyone else in town eats.

"It amazes me how rarely I find leaders who make sure their people have nice things, too," Wyld comments, off handed. "There's enough here for all of my troops to get a little treat, and I bet more in the plantation kitchens..."

"But then there wouldn't be enough for them to eat like this all the time."

"I don't eat like this all the time, either," she says, shrugging.

"Ah, but see, you make the mistake of thinking of your followers as people who are also capable of enjoying things, rather than disposable and interchangeable tools."

She laughs. "And now I'm here being very inconvenient with my message of universal personhood. How rude of me."

"I think your army is also part of the inconvenience."

"They're what elevates this from an inconvenience to a movement."

She laughs.

"As you say."

"Also allow me to not have to handle the boring parts. That's important."

"Mm, delegation. A key skill."

"Especially with things you don't even want to do."

"I'm actually happy to let someone else do all the ruling - I don't really rule my people right now, especially not in the day to day stuff. Leaves me more time to do what I want. Though I imagine most of my life's going to get eaten with military training and strategy for the next while."

"That sounds a fair way to live, so long as you can arrange it."

"It's been a work in progress, so far."

"Taking these towns may add more work than progress."

"For a time, yeah. I'm expecting that. Eventually, though, I'll get people trained up - commanders in my army, mayors of my town, governors of my regions. Build up the scale slowly enough I can remain stable."

"You make it sound so easy. Still, I think I'll leave the taking of territory to you. It doesn't hold much attraction for me."

"What does hold attraction for you?"

"Individuals, mostly. A more... personal expression of power."