Chapter 225: Chapter 223 ~ Threats and Leverage

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Soon, I will have to deal with the politics of this underworld. I will have to meet with people that I disagree with, see their failures, watch their people suffer, and I will have to calm myself, and act with careful, rational measures. So, as one attempt to control myself, I’m self-reflecting on my own leadership.

What is the most unacceptable failing of the leaders that I most despise?

They do not listen to the wants and needs of their own people. Democratically elected ministers who act only to fill their own pockets, or to assist the corrupt megacorporation’s at the cost of the people. Dictators that treat themselves like gods to be served, and obeyed. Every time I heard the words of a leader that I might agree with, I dug, and dug, until I found an awful truth.

They were all failures, as we all are. I found not one in the current day that I could place my own trust in, perhaps it’s just my nature to hyperfocus on every imperfection, but it’s simply a part of who I am.

Thus, I must listen to my people.

Not only the advisors close to me, but the strangers on the street, the farmers in their fields, and the homeless struggling to get by. Though I don’t yet have any of the last sort since we have countless homes to share, the favourable situation won’t last forever.

Through my minds eye, I expand my view of the world to encompass everything within my empire, and a little further beyond. Taking in the world at large, I focus on the people who I serve. The people I am responsible for.

I need to hear them, to listen to their complaints, so that I can do better. Their voices carry into my mind as a thousand whispers, limited sounds carrying through my Eye’s of an Empire Skill. I try to make sense of them, but they are fragile and slippery, passing through my mind without leaving a mark behind.

I’m not ready yet, but in time I’ll have this figured out.

I know that it’s a breach of privacy. I know that it goes against what I want for myself and my lovers, and I would never trust someone to hold this power over us… but I’m going to do this regardless. I’m not going to let myself use this information poorly, I just need to know what troubles my people even if they feel like they can’t speak of it to me.

This is the power of a goddess, and I need to use this power responsibly.

My gaze turns towards the gang in the ruins above, that I’ve most recently made contact with. Most of what I see is just people going about their lives, but then the same would be true of looking in on 1944 Germany. Even the most cruel and evil people will still spend a good part of the day eating, sleeping, shitting, and bathing, and they don’t do it all wickedly.

So, I watch them carefully as I continue on with my life, monitoring my own city streets just the same.

Time ticks by, my mind straining to focus on so many things at once. No matter what I do there’s never enough time to get everything done, and not enough experts to take over the duties that I can’t handle myself.

I’m still rushing around looking for things that I’ve failed to address while June and Slan are working on building their organisation. They aren’t going slow with it either, they’re already happy with their choice in personnel but now they have to get them prepared and decide on the first institution that they want to develop.

I’m watching over them carefully with what attention I can spare. That said, it means precious little considering how thinly I’m spreading myself at the moment.

The computer chip that I’m trying to incorporate into my mind isn’t helping much yet, and there’s so much that I need to watch over.

“This was left in your throne. It’s likely from the monarchy.” Nel says, handing me a small letter. The wax seal on it would seem to indicate the sender.

“I’ll call Malea over.” I say, if there’s any politics involved, I’d like some help deciphering the meaning and people involved. She’s still plotting against me, and quite openly at that, but I accepted to have her around for a reason.

The fact that I didn’t notice the delivery of this letter bothers me, more than a little as that’s a message in itself. They can reach into my home whenever they like, and I won’t know until they want me to know. My skin crawls as I check the shadows over again, but I see nothing in them.

There are only a few factions with power enough to sneak into my home just to leave a letter on the seat of my power, filled with enough mana to annihilate just about anyone.

“You have a message?” Malea asks, marching into the room. She’s been staying in a room of her own in the city, apparently her own cavern doesn’t need nearly as much oversight on her part.

“Yes, do you recognise the seal?” I ask, holding it out towards her.

“It’s a royal seal, you really have gotten some significant attention…” She says thoughtfully, “Say… there are rumours spreading about your new support devices…”

“I’m surprised the information hasn’t spilt earlier.” I say. “Really helped us out in that fight actually.”

I open the letter carefully, watching for any magics that might unfold, but it doesn’t look to be trapped.

“You… can really take peoples Skills?” She asks, her eyes open wide at the apparent implication. She turns around and enters into thought as she considers how this changes things.

“Stolen secrets hold the most value when kept as secrets.” I read from the note. “‘The cost of secrets sold is much more than you would be willing to bear.’ A threat? Do they know about the Skills we stole, then?”

“I think that we can be confident that they do.” Nel says. “It’s a wonder that they didn’t know earlier, or perhaps they knew but didn’t believe it. I mean this is a revolutionary technological shift. Something that’s not been seen before, so it makes sense that they wouldn’t believe it.”

“But they do now?” I ask.

“Maybe they have some more trustworthy reports now than they had before?” Vii asks, waving towards our guest. “Maybe Malea?”

“Was it you?” I ask the spider lady as she comes back to her senses.

“Me?” She waves at herself. “No, no. I was loath to believe such rumours myself. It’s the nature of thing that a child spreads to make people fearful of them, it’s not something that people would ever believe… but this message… I suppose there’s evidence then.”

“Indeed.” Nel replies with a nod.

“Well, we were expecting this to get out anyway.” I reply. “It’s not anything unexpected, we’re not keeping the fact a secret. Though, arguably maybe we should have.”

“What about the threat in this letter?” Eshya asks, “Should we be challenging someone to a personal duel over this? Get it out there and dealt with?”

“And get ourselves soundly beaten? No.” I reply quickly and Malea nods firmly before stealing her face.

“Malea, who’s who and what’s this about?” I ask, “You agreed to provide that information, yes?”

“I did, yes.” She smiles eagerly, as if she’s just gotten the chance to reveal some awful secret of mine. “That message would be from the Queen herself, after finding out that you’ve stolen her Skills. While you may enjoy the protections of the dungeons for now, I’m sure that she’ll find some means of assuring you keep quiet.

“Troubles that can easily go away should you give up your ambitions as a leader. I’m sure I could find a solution to help you and your lovers avoid such troubles.”

“I’ll keep the offer in mind.” I say waving her off as I sit up and lean forwards. “We’ll keep the Skills secret for now. I’m sure it’s good enough for now that the queen is sweating over this issue.”

“Doesn’t that make us look weak?” Eshya asks, “I would’ve thought that you’d be itching to get back at her because of these threats.”

“This is… different?” I ask myself, delving into the twisting emotions in my own strange heart. “She’s threatening me because she wants the secrets kept. Before this she wouldn’t need to keep it to a threat, she could just come and cause real problems, but because of this information, she won’t. If she does anything I can share her Skills with everyone in town, then when I’m stronger, I’ll come back and kill her.

“I’m pretty sure she’s not going to actually do anything too bothersome. It’s just more of the annoying threats and quiet manipulations that Malea herself has threatened us with.” I say. “I am still peeved about that, but whatever.”

“Yes, you are the sort to be easily goaded into violence.” Malea says.

“Violence is just the best answer to most problems.” Eshya says with a mean chuckle, but Malea refuses to react to it.

“Maybe not the best, but certainly the most absolute.”

“So, if you want to open a jar…?” Nel asks.

“Violence.” Eshya shrugs.

“If it works…” I say with a shrug.

Vii laughs nervously.

“So why did I agree to work with you again?” Adler asks. “If violence is the only answer you can come up with.”

“Because we need someone who can give us other options.” Eshya says, hoping over to her and cosying up to her side.

“If the monarchy figured out our trick already, then I think the republic will follow soon. They’ll know that I have their president’s private information soon enough. Actually, how is it going with getting the contacts and messages sorted out, we did manage to pull that from him too, right?”

Malea’s eyes open even wider as she chokes on her own spit.

“You can steal our messages?!” She practically shouts, trembling slightly before regaining her poise.

“We figured it out, yes.” Nel nods a vicious smile on her lips. “There is much to look through at the moment, are you wanting to keep this all to yourself as well?”

“Between us, I won’t stop you from skimming through it, but don’t go sharing it around unless we’re going for a political manoeuvring of some kind.” I say, rubbing at my head to try and manage the ethics of it all.

“This goes far beyond what I imagined.” Malea says, glaring up at me.

“Hey, I haven’t threatened you yet.” I say, “You’ve been useful so far and I’d like to keep things pleasant between us. Just be careful, so that doesn’t have to change.”

“Yes, well I suppose it’s not too painful.” She says, mediating herself, “I will hope that you do not simply sell my secrets to the highest bidder.”

“Oh, you’re worth more than money.” I say, chuckling. She’s still not one of my own people, and I won’t extend my full trust towards her, but I am rather awful with secrets. I just have no particularly strong inclination towards keeping things secret for my own advantage.

I guess I am just a brute who likes to solve my issues with violence, but there’s something so much nicer to honest violence compared to all this sneaky, political stuff.

“Yes… well, I think that I’m left with some things to consider.” She says, her face set into a deep frown as she looks back towards me.

“Before you go.” I say, waving her closer. “The republic, can you give me a run down on who’s most important, and who I’ll need to know for when they contact me about these stolen Skills?”

She bows slightly towards me, already showing a measure of difference as she schools her expression.

“President Braun himself, for obvious reasons. His family and support faction, but I doubt that they’ll reach out to you directly until after you’ve made contact with the president. His opposition would be the more likely to reach out to you.

“That would be Hana Klaw the leader of the opposition faction, she’s been out of the presidential seat for six terms straight and I’m certain that she’s after a change to bring her back into office. Her faction maintains power through control over much of the farming and hunting lands in the republic.

“That’s not to mention the powers in the monarchy that would be interested in seizing that information, obviously.”

“Good to know.” I say, nodding at her words and internalising what she’s taught me. I don’t think I’m going to make that much of a bother out of using this information, since I am just a brute, but at least I know whose skulls I’m going to be cracking when the time comes for it.

“Thank you for your assistance.” I say, relaxing back. I’m still suspicious of her, and she’s been digging around while she’s been here, but I don’t think she’s going to damage anything. She’s simply planning her own take over, a peaceful one.

Malea straightens and looks me over once more, her expression relaxing a little as she sighs and nods to herself in thought.

Before she can say anything, a flash of powerful magic cuts through the room, and we all turn our eyes towards the sight of Arduelle. She looks… not shaken, but bothered. A few stray hairs have been left untended, and her favourite hat seems to be sagging off of her.

She doesn’t even spare us a glance, getting to work on scrawling a symbol onto the ground at her feet before flooding the fresh enchantments with magic. The amount of focus that she’s put into it suggests that she’s not just scrawling alien penises into my throne room like some unruly teenage boy.

“What are you doing?” I ask her, standing up and heading closer.

“I’m setting up the teleportation array.” She answers, her voice calm and collected as ever though she still seems a little off. “Oh, there are some diplomats about to pop through when I’m done. They shouldn’t cause too much trouble.”

“Thanks for the warning?” I ask, trying to figure out if I really need to be thanking her for this. “Is there something wrong, you seem stressed?”

“You’re not the only troublemaker I have to deal with.” She says, smiling to herself though it doesn’t make her seem happy at all. “Perhaps I can throw you two at each other… no, it’ll be more interesting to see you find your own conflicts in the wild.”

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A little of the stress fading from her shoulders as she looks down at me, wicked thoughts floating through her eyes. She’s enjoying the thought of my stress and suffering, I just know it.

I open my mouth to ask, but she’s gone in a flash of powerful magic before I can give voice to my problems. A moment later another flash of magic brings more people into the room.

“Welcome.” I say turning and sitting on my throne as I take them in. It seems we’ve now got a very serious security risk right in my own home, in the form of an invaluable teleportation enchantment.

The two diplomats look much like bears, but bipedal and with more complex paws. Their thick fur is coloured however, and it seems more the work of dyes or perhaps personal transformations rather than anything naturally inspired. Then again, nature is much stranger when she gets involved with magic, so it’s impossible to be sure.

Their stances are lax, and they don’t even seem like they’re proper diplomats to my eyes. There’s none of the same seriousness as I’d expect from a professional.

“Heard you stole my grandpa’s Skills.” The young hairy woman says, jabbed in the side by her larger partner. A relative of some sort, no doubt. “If you decide to share them around, I’d like get right on the top of that list.”

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

Stats and Skills

 

~Mana Form:

Current mana density: 30,078 / 60,892 units

Current mana volume: 14,950 / 30,266 shards

 

Mana volume at crystallisation density (Max. mana volume):

Kyra: 30,266 shards

Kyra’s armour: 20,777 shards

Kyra’s throne: 1,109,298 shards

 

~Forms

Mana Canon

-Annihilation Heart (Adapted)

-Blood Fuel (20,000 mana shards)

-Bone Magic Storage (40,000 mana shards)

-Nail Shifters (50,000 mana shards)

 

Dancer

-Flash Nerves (8,000 mana shards)

-Quick Perception Mind (Adapted)

-Burst Reflex Muscles (35,000 mana shards)

-Layered space Muscles (80,000 mana shards)

 

Turtle

-Rebinding Tissue (Adapted)

-Catalyst Sweat Glands (140,000 mana shards)

-Repulsive Skin (80,000 mana shards)

-Prehensile hair (10,000 mana shards)

-Fatty Tissue Blood Storage (100,000 mana shards)

 

Investigator

-Wide eyes (5,000 mana shards)

-Wide ears (5,000 mana shards)

-Sharp nose (5,000 mana shards)

 

Misc.

-Clean bowels (Adapted)

 

 

~Favourited Skills:

 

Magic:

-Annihilation Magic (Customised)

-Fire Magic (Functional)

-Space magic (Broken)

-Force magic (Broken)

-Ice magic (Broken)

-Wind magic (Broken)

 

Movement:

-Hand-to-hand casting (Functional)

-Mana surge movement (Functional)

-Stealth (Functional)

 

Senses:

-Eyes of an Empire (Customised)

-Combat Awareness (Functional)

-Watchmen (Functional)

-Hidden bug (Functional)

-De-tagging (Functional)

-Anti-stealth sight (Functional)

 

Special:

-Spirit Transformation (Broken)

-Conformity (Broken)

-Training mana form (Functional)

 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

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