Chapter 382: 138: Sentence – Part 1

Okay, I guess paying the "compensation" to the Oracle's family was worth every coin if Sun Man here is going to be that helpful to have on our side.

"Do you all understand that this sets a precedent?" Apeiltik slowly asks out loud with a well-measured tone, and his dignified composure makes it hard to be too aggressive against him.

"I'll make sure it does!" I interrupt with an exclamation. Then I assuredly give a short speech as I do my best to intimidate the undecided nobles, "We're in the holy season of the Purification, and it's our duty to cut out the filth and rot from the Empire, so I won't allow evil like this" -I point to Cleinias' head- "to fester among the nobility. There's no time better than now to make it clear that this sort of behavior won't be accepted among us anymore!"

I put my hand on the base of Aoi's neck as she raises her head and uses her draconic glare to compound with mine. Then she continues the verbal pounding to make them submit, "Do you wish for monsters and humanoids to kill each other for eternity, like the God of Order would want, or will you move past this stagnated relationship and actually grow together like Change wanted for all of us?!"

A courageous noble hesitantly replies, "If they convert like you claim-… like you did, then the monsters should have no fear of what might happen to them." But that's still way too far from what we're trying to accomplish.

I glare at him and harshly question, "Only converted, then? And how do you propose that I convince them to join our side when they'll only be protected after they make the transition?"

And I see a hint of understanding dawn upon him and others, but there are still some who'll oppose us no matter what.

"We can't trust monsters! We can't accept the heretical into our midst!" An irate Katasko noblewoman shouts.

Aoi jerks her large head towards the woman, making her instantly shut up. "Don't you fucking dare call my enslaved brethren heretics! They never had a choice!" She growls back, her powerful double voice echoing across the wide Throne Room.

I start to lose my patience again. "All we're asking is to not do Wicked acts upon the undeserving… HOW HARD CAN THAT BE?!"

And the nobles, on both sides, scoff again, but the number of detractors is decreasing as they begin to see the writing on the wall. Though, there are some who are becoming bolder with their unsavory behavior now that Caterina isn't here.

"Our Empire is built upon our worship of the Humanoid Gods," Sun Man interjects with his magically enhanced voice, then he makes a dramatic pause, his piercing gaze making me uncomfortable and dulling the edge in my tone. "We cannot accept monsters into our midst without safeties, without a guarantee that they aren't trying to infiltrate us and do us harm."

And I smirk smugly as he activates my trap card. "But that's a two-way street, isn't it? I'm only trying to secure a guarantee for their side, too."

A stupid noble opens their stupid mouth to spew stupid, enraging, bullshit, "You think the monsters don't rape, murder, or torture, too? Have you ever been to a breeder monster village? Or seen how entire tribes convert to poison or dark magic?"

Their stubbornness is really grating…

I turn to him and carefully lay it out, "I said two-way street, or do you not understand what that term means? Back and forth. If one side doesn't try to cooperate, then the other has no reason to do it either."

And I finally begin to feel the mood of the room shift. Some part of our arguments is finally getting through to the nobles, and though I don't know what, exactly, it is that's finally convincing them, I'll take it regardless.

"We already have problems with unruly and uncivilized dragonkin. Orcs would be worse," Apeiltik once again comes in with a reasonable and charismatic argument, but this time, he's off-mark.

"And how is that relevant to this discussion? You just aren't allowed to rape and torture them in any circumstance, but you can always kill them just like you would with any other humanoid if they become a problem. You're just reaching for excuses to stand against me."

"Your future will make our society harder to maintain," the muscular man slowly replies, his tone with such a strong edge that indicates the use of [Intimidate].

But you can't fucking intimate a goddamn dragon so easily. "Then we build a stronger one," I confidently announce.

And the disgruntled minority loudly grumbles again, but their numbers are steadily decreasing.

"Foolhardy."

"Reckless."

"Irresponsible." They whine to deaf ears.

"Do your job as nobles, or renounce your Titles!" Ciel suddenly shouts, her motherly aura calling up feelings of guilt within them. "The Purification has already begun, and you still dare to act lazy and uncommitted?! Society will grow further with… or without you."

They seem to have forgotten that she's a priestess, and their cynicism won't fly in her presence. And even though she's also a noble, her background isn't easily forgotten, and the characteristic preachy tone of a priest makes them instinctively clam up.

And Yunia also joins in with her own verbal lashing, her tone cold and sharp like a steel edge, "Need we remind you that nearly half of the nobles present here have been Marked? You're not in any position to dictate our future when your own belonging to the Empire is in question."

And I lean onto Yunia's angle of attack, "If you want to so vehemently oppose us, then at least prove that you have the Empire's best interests at heart!"

Who's going to argue that they were Marked because they were good people doing good deeds? If any of the Katasko nobles argue back, we can just pull out the list and start throwing names…

"I'm not Marked, and I'm only questioning whether or not the doors you're opening are worth it," Apeiltik calmly points out.

Except for this fucker… We seriously don't remember seeing his name anywhere. Is he even actually part of Katasko?

"If progress isn't worth it, then are we truly the children of the God of Change?" Ciel boldly states and starts walking forward to face him.

Her statement starts to rile up the disgruntled nobles, but it's clear that a majority has been achieved, and our detractors don't have enough influence to keep the large group of undecided from swaying to our side.

Ciel stops beside me and has a staring contest with Apeiltik. His gaze is much more powerful against her than mine, but it's still nothing she can't handle.

He turns his eyes away first, relieving the pressure on her, and turns to Empy, asking for his decision. The other nobles also go quiet, and the atmosphere stays firmly accepting of us, with our detractors finally falling silent.

So the big man finally decides to finish this. He stands up, silencing everyone, and promptly starts his speech, "I've seen enough. This matter goes beyond our mere existences, and in the spirit of the Purification, we have to make a stand against immorality and Sinful behavior." He makes a dramatic pause again, his eyes falling on every single one of the disgruntled minority, the subtle frown on his face making clear his opinion of them. "Therefore, I'll set down a new Law, which declares that every living being is under the protection of the Sins, and I'll allow the Punishers to enforce it." From what I know of Caterina, she'll gladly do so.

The girls and I cheer victoriously, but we're surprised that a number of the nobles also seem genuinely happy, though the majority simply claps politely.

I understand that the nobles are being forced to accept this change. That they haven't seen the light and decided, from the bottom of their hearts, that this was better for the Empire. They know it's evil to torture monsters, and I understand that their hesitance to side with me comes from their desire to retain their freedoms, to not be burdened by the morality of someone else. I also understand that forcing this issue hasn't exactly made us popular with the nobles, even those not from Katasko, but this stand I'm making comes from deep within my core.

As a (former, I guess) atheist, it's weird to say this, but I have faith in the Humanoid Gods. I believe that they're a force of good in this world, and that the way they act isn't restrictive on society, paving the way for actual progress in the future, something that Earthling religions actively fought against due to traditionalism.

The Gods do exist, and they do participate, and they can bring change. The fact that I'm here and Blessed by them is proof of that because why would they call me here if not for my knowledge? The tools for progress are all here, so I'll use them until they break, or until they aren't good enough for the job that needs to be done.

But the cynical part of me asks: how could I not have faith in the Gods when they've showered me with such good fortune? My Gift is god-given, my harem is god-sanctioned, my Blessing is a godly stamp of approval, my Fate is god-guided, and even my influence among others is god-boosted. Everything about me says that I've been chosen by the Gods, so why wouldn't I be confident in what I'm doing? Why wouldn't I think that my way is the right way?

At least I have enough people around me to tell me off if I start to become too crazy, so there's no chance that I'll pull a Paul in this world. Messiahs, prophets, and other people in high leadership positions don't usually have this much psychological support backing them up.

Once the clapping dies down, Empy sits down and finishes, "There'll be no punishment for the Ryder family of Crown Lords, so I declare this meeting over."

Most of the Katasko nobles simply turn around and almost run out of the Main Throne Room, desperate to get away before some noble with a grudge challenges them. Without Cleinias to guide them, and the whole Empire seemingly turning their backs on them, only fools would linger here.

The other nobles then come to congratulate us, especially the elves from Elaria, who quickly make their way to Yunia. Caterina's mage also begins casting [Gate] to return the monsters, and I suddenly get an urge to take the amethyst dragon for myself, but she's old, tormented, and also pretty hostile to humanoids, so I don't have anything that I can do for her besides giving her the mercy of a swift death.

Then the Room almost freezes as Apeiltik Tavros suddenly starts making his way towards us. The tall and well-built man is very intimidating for a human, even more so when he's approaching with heavy, confident steps, and he has shown himself to be more than just a pile of muscles, so everyone gets apprehensive about what he might do in the next couple of seconds.

But I feel no actual threat coming from him, so I just remain standing and wait, and then I see a hint of a grin appear on his clean-shaven face.

The other nobles instinctively back away, and then he stops less than a meter from me, close enough that he can quietly whisper, "Vanea sends her regards." And nobody but me hears him.

What…?

But then he simply turns around and leaves the Room along with the other Katasko nobles.

And only Yunia manages to immediately catch on. "He's a spy for her! That's why we couldn't find his name; it's because he isn't a true member!" She shouts excitedly through [Bind].

"Why the fuck would he go against us, then?!" Hana exclaims indignantly.

"Controlled opposition. Taking charge of the conversation while not being overly aggressive to keep things from spiraling out of control."

Fuck, that actually sounds like something Vanea would do.

"I'd appreciate it if she gave us some advanced warning," Alissa sorely remarks, and yes, we all understand the irony of it.

The congratulations continue, but they don't take too long, and soon, the Room is empty, except for us, Empy, and the gorgeous Empresses. Again, I'd love to stare at the delicious, naked Piscila, but Empy doesn't let me salivate over her for too long.

"Don't start revolutions on your own, Ryders," he tiredly chastises, though his tone is quite light, the magic in it unexpectedly gone.

"Or go on killing sprees just because you were slighted," Empress Hayakasha harshly adds, and the other Empresses, who were like statues during the discussion, start showing their real emotions, which are quite varied.

"We've only killed one noble," Yunia calmly points out.

"So far," Hayakasha sharply replies.

"Alright, there's one more person who we have a grudge with," I confess, trying to hold back a wry smile.

Empy leans back in his chair. "Rank?"

"Centum."

And he tiredly waves his hand. "Do as you please, but don't make it obvious."

I snort and blurt out, "I imagined you'd have more qualms about it."

He narrows his eyes, and his faint glow becomes slightly more annoying to look at. "It's another Katasko noble, correct? Bringing down the Alkimeonids family was too troublesome due to their widespread influence, but nobody will miss a Marked Centum, especially now that Katasko is finally collapsing."

"Maybe now, Haya will finally stop fretting over what the Ryders are up to," an adorable, little, blonde dwarven girl remarks with an innocent tone, but her impish grin is anything but.

"It's true that you Ryders are fairly impulsive," the wereowl Empress who's obviously Sa'Haa's mother sternly states.

I glance at Aoi and smile warmly as I pat her scaly back. "Can you blame me? This matter is related to one of my wives, and I'm just too passionate about them to hold back on this."

Aoi's wings twitch as she almost pulls me in with them for a hug, but she thinks it'd be inappropriate, and she blushes internally for her awkwardness with humanoid customs.

But Sun Man isn't exactly pleased with my response. "Always remember where your responsibilities lie," he impassively states, his words echoing in my mind from the power in his voice.

And Yunia and I are sorely tempted to snappily reply, "with my people," but we just stay silent since we don't have the energy to be that impudent against him right now. It's really damn tiring to speak to very high-level people since their "Stats" and skills keep noticeably affecting us, so I can understand why so many people don't like to talk to nobles.

"Once you're done playing games with the other nobles, you need to start working on spreading [Golemancy]," Sa'Haa's mother continues, then she eyes the golems inquisitively. "They hold too much power for you to monopolize it, and I'm sure that Knowledge wants you to share it."

"I'm working on it, but there are things I need to fix with [Golemancy] before that can happen," I politely reply.

And she gives me a sharp gaze that's strikingly similar to her daughter's. "Be careful. Others can become impatient, especially after what you've shown they can do."

I wonder if my daughters will be this similar to their mothers. It'd be… not ideal, I guess.

"We will…" I hum and ignore the depravity of the girls' thoughts.

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"That was all. You're free to leave," Empy finishes.

We all bow, and Piscila and I share a subtle smirk, then we finally leave.

On the way home, I start to wind down, and the reality of what we did begins to sink in. We fucking changed the world, that's what we did. Well… the Empire isn't the whole world, but what we do here will definitely have an impact on Bestiaram and Maoka with time.

And Ciel is so happy about how things went that she doesn't even care when I squeeze her juicy ass cheeks as our cage elevator goes down the Throne.

"Just don't get carried away," she softly warns me, so I sneak a claw onto her butthole, and she instinctively clenches it.

She pouts, but doesn't stop me, so I sneak my claw further in between her legs and press it against her pussy lips. Her dress is as thin as delicate panties, and she's not wearing anything underneath, so I can easily tease her into wetness with just a little bit of soul vibration.

Her nipples start poking through her clothes, but I leave her wanting because our ride is relatively short, and it's just a short walk before we're back at the embassy.

To tease her further, I invite Caterina, Kyora, and her harem for a late dinner so that our meal can't become lewd, but that's far from making a dent in her happy mood.

"You're a true noble, now, Ciel," Kyora wryly remarks as she sits down.

"What do you mean?" The curvy angel asks back confusedly.

The blue-haired dragonkin dons the characteristic grin of her race. "You murdered someone and got away with it. You even dissed the Enforcers while you were at it."

Timas, the more courteous member of Kyora's harem, immediately slaps her shoulder, but even though he's a warrior, the werecat doesn't even make the amazoness budge.

"Considering how he was an evil person, she's actually doing our job, you know?" He sternly lectures.

"But we need a lot more justification before we kill someone," Kyora retorts and thinks about slapping him back, but decides that it's better not to.

"And we generally don't kill people we hate," little Alonso casually adds.

And Kyora nods in agreement. "Or even find it enjoyable."

"We didn't," Ciel dryly replies.

"Maybe you should. There's nothing wrong with killing heretics and villains," Caterina nonchalantly states, her bloodthirst even making Alissa a bit concerned.

And the four Wandering Knights awkwardly glance at their Punisher comrade.

"Didn't we just argue that it's evil to enjoy killing?" Roxanne nervously asks out loud.

And the serious elf categorically replies, "Not against the Wicked, you didn't. Those people forfeited their right to live when they betrayed Creation and the Humanoid Gods, so killing them is like popping a blister."

"That's actually bad for healing," Ciel points out with an innocent smile.

Caterina slowly closes her eyes in pain. "You know what I mean."

"More like popping pimples, I guess," Alonso comments wryly and reaches for a dragonoid drumstick.

I look at Poppy, but then I remember that it sounds different in Andraste, which makes me sad that I can't tell this joke, though I'm happy that Alissa still feels the pain because she's always reading my thoughts.

"Elves don't get pimples," Yunia snobbishly replies, then pompously sips her alcohol.

"Neither do the dragonkin," Kyora hums, covering her full mouth as she speaks. Then she glances at Hana, and they both nod.

"Or dragons…" Aoi hesitantly adds, then snorts as she imagines a dragon with pimples.

"Or dwarves," Lina also chimes in, then tenses up as Poppy smiles at her. Sometimes I forget that my little girl is also quite gay, and she finds this dwarf girl very attractive.

But Roxanne is skeptical of Yunia's claim that elves don't get pimples. She says it's just elven beauty products that prevent them from appearing, and the girls launch into a discussion about skin and its care, and the differences between each race.

Timas, Alonso, and I share a look, and then we attempt to have a male-focused conversation by talking about weapons and their care, and the differences between the favorites of each race.

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