The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]

There is this idea that the Empire would collapse immediately without Arascus. The more I look into it, the more I do not think so. Whereas the Empire would definitely become worse without its Emperor God, I will actually go against the classical idea that Allasaria has always propagated that the Empire relies entirely upon Arascus and no one else.

The state that the Empire has reached now is one of self-powering inertia. Whereas appointments to Bureaus are largely mandated by Arascus, all Bureaus have a head or a leader, usually some duke or king or other style of aristocrat. Those men would be able to go ahead and substitute Arascus’ role in managing their bureaus. The only one that truly needs Arascus is Imperial Auditry, and that is because Imperial Auditry is extremely unpopular (for obvious reasons). Yet Auditry is untouchable because it is Arascus’ scalpel that he uses to excise not just cancers, but wasteful fats from the administration.

For another, I firmly do not believe that Arascus would even be replaced if the God of Pride was removed. Arascus is Arascus and there is none like him. In this fashion, it is not even a humiliation to say. To fill the spot that Arascus leaves behind is a borderline impossibility and most of us don’t have the arrogance to actually attempt the challenge.

I have had this argument with Ciria recently, the pretentious little girl has proudly exclaimed to me what the Empire would be without Arascus, without Kassandora, without his family and without the people he appointed? How could the system possibly work then. The statement is the height of middling intelligence, she has enough smarts to see the system and critique, but she can only do it in a vacuum.

Ciria, to some extent, is correct. The Empire could not exist without Arascus and his family. Now let the statement be put into perspective: the White Pantheon could not exist without Allasaria, Fortia, Helenna & myself. A democratic system could not exist without the reformers who created it in the first place. An autocracy cannot exist without an autocrat. A system cannot exist without its rulers. Ciria will leverage this critique of “what if all of them disappeared tomorrow” as if the fact that the Empire would not survive the beheading of its entire leadership as some great revelation. Let Ciria go ahead and posit a system that would survive a simultaneous beheading of its entire leadership first.

The Empire cannot be described using a traditional ideological model. It is a post-government government, a government that governs governments. Ciria’s grand issue is that she cannot see this, and instead tries to treat it with the same rules that it would treat the Kingdom of Doschia, the State of Kirinyaa, the Republic of Rancais. And most importantly, the Empire is successful in actually maintaining its power base with its reserved style of governance. The general Imperial populace adore Arascus and his leadership, and it is because Arascus and his leadership do little to actually govern and impose. They facilitate internal trade, they facilitate external protectionism and foreign diplomacy, they facilitate a combined military and they do not care about social policies.

- Excerpt from “Imperial Bureaucracy Review: Second Edition”, written by Goddess Maisara, of Order.

Some decisions, Saksma knew how to make. Some decisions required thought but there was always a satisfying correct choice. What region of Doschia should get investment for example, that was always a good one. Saksma had that down to a mathematical science. Or when any of the Imperial Bureaus came in and said they needed to expand a factory, those usually were a list and Saksma had to pick. Those usually came in with a decision-due-by date where haste was rewarded. King Aimone had snapped up last weeks pharmaceutical grants, although Saksma had only learned that from Agrita.

But this decision was of no such importance and yet it was more challenging than anything proposed recently. It wasn’t even from the Empire administration, it was from Paida. A week ago, the Goddess of Rancais proposed the Imperianna, the Bureau of Culture had jumped on the idea, given Paida more than enough funding, fast-tracked the building of a new ball-room in Rancais and given Paida full authority over the management as a reward for her forward thinking.

It was a fashion festival.

Of course it was, it came from Rancais. If Saksma had thought of the idea, then it would be a festival of labour, or maybe of beer, or a clockwork festival maybe. Something technical that Doschia actually excelled at. But no, Paida had initiated the idea, so naturally it was a fashion festival. For Divines and mortals, each country was to send a pair of Divines and five mortals, to show off their traditional styles and…

And it made Saksma sick. The Bureau of Culture had already sent the dates and the invitations to everyone knowing how quickly the Empire built, the ball room would most likely be ready by the end of the month. There was no date yet, but it would be this year. Paida was already planning tickets and guest-lists. And naturally, Paida did not help anyone else. It would be unfair to the spirit of the competition apparently.

Saksma stared down at the three dozen designs she had sitting on her desk. Doschia designed uniforms, it designed rugged boots, it made suits and military gear and it certainly did not make fucking dresses of all things. Paida was playing dirty, so Saksma would too. Already her government had put out a public reward, every university in the country and every fashion brand got the news about the Imperianna and they all knew that Doschia was far too magnificent a country to be publicly embarrassed by the fucking Rancais of all people. By Paida as well! The shame of it!

But Saksma would not wear this shit that was in front her. One of the so-called ‘designs’ had come from the Royal Anfurt Clothing School, and it looked like they were planning to stick their Goddess in bin-bags. The idiots at HAUPT apparently got the wrong message and designed yet another uniform for her, perfect for the army and not at all fit for a ball. The fools from Ornburg University must have thought she was a harlot because they sent in what was closer to a swimsuit than a dress. Saksma understood that the university sat on the fucking seaside but surely they had substituted their brains for seashells!

This was getting nowhere. It was all terrible. Saksma shoved all the images away from her desk, pulled up her phone and stood up from her desk. She needed to stretch her legs. She needed some minister from one of the Imperial Bureaus to run in with news of a disaster so that she had an excuse as to why she could skip this considering of dresses.

Saksma walked to her cabinet and pulled out a beer bottle. She flicked the metal cap off with her thumb, drank a third of the bottle quickly, then pulled out another bottle and set it on her desk. She could already tell these two would not be the last pair of drinks today. Saksma smiled when she saw her phone wallpaper, it was her and all her friends, that picture always made her smile. It was the people she relied on the most. And today, she would be relying on them.

Not Paida of course. This was her stupid fucking idea. She would just gloat no doubt. Olonia first, Saksma found the number of her friend. She tapped ring, walked to the window and looked out over Hallin. At the top of the Hallin Gate, a transmutation crystal had been installed. It was glowing and pulsing brightly, another was on Hallin Cathedral. This week, they would be running their first clear skies helicopter test although already, a set of drones were circling the city. Clear skies were returning to Arda. The music for the ringing phone suddenly finished. “Hello hello? Saksma?” Olonia asked.

“Olonia.” Saksma said. “Have you seen the news for the Imperianna?”

“Oh my fuck Saks I have.” Olonia said. “What do you think on it?”

“I fucking hate it.” Saksma said.

“Are you going?”

“Of course I’m going.” She stared out at Hallin, the city had a small skyline. It was the Doschian capital but it wasn’t even the largest city in the country, nothing like how Aris dominated Rancais or Camden in Allia. But then those nations were reliant on their capitals, Doschia was the Epan manufacturing powerhouse precisely because every town had its pair or trio of factories.

Olonia sounded far too much smug with herself. “You’re stuck, aren’t you?”

“That’s why I’m ringing you. What are you wearing?” Olonia fell silent for a moment, her chuckle was obviously not aimed at Saksma either. “Hello? Hello?” Saksma said. “What are you laughing for?”

“Well…” Olonia said. “I may be cheating in it.” Somehow, that did not surprise Saksma.

“How? Are you paying off the judges?”

“Olephia owes me a favour.” Olonia replied. “And the front is stable right now so I’ve asked her to design a design.” Saksma stared at the trees gently sway in the wind as her mind struggled to process what she was hearing.

“Excuse me?”

“Olephia’s doing the dress design for me.” Olonia said devilishly. “What? I built her a telescope, didn’t I? She owes me.”

“You…” Saksma trailed off. She what exactly? She had the help the of most famous artist in the Empire? Was that it? “How?”

“Well her home is in Lubska!” Olonia said. Saksma remembered how she had thought Olonia was insane and wasteful for thinking that she could drag Lubska out of being a mega-farm of a nation and into something grander. Well, she had done it.

“Fuck.” Saksma said. “Is it good?”

“I don’t know. She said she’ll send me a design soon though. I can share it.”

“Do you know anything about it though?”

“Well it’s going to be white and red.” The national colours of Lubska. Of course it would be that. Why did Saksma expect anything different in the first place? Should she wear the Doschian red, yellow, black? It was too Imperial though, it made… Well… She could pull it off. But it was dour colours. Not the sort of things that made would usually be for a ball.

“Alright.” Saksma said. “I might ring later to ask, can I steal a design?”

“Ohohoho!” Olonia guffawed with laughter. “You?! Stealing my design?!”

“It’s Olephia’s, isn’t it?”

“It’s a hard-won favour I got from her. You know I had to go and embarrass myself before Elassa for it?” Saksma sighed. She did know the story, Olonia had told her.

“Alright.” Saksma said. “I’ll try to think of something. See you.”

“See you.” Saksma dropped the call before Olonia could say anything else. She stared out her window at the drones that hovered in the air. A drone show could be good. Something to try and compete with Paida’s massive incursion into the Bureau of Culture. Doschia was a factory, but it could not be just a factory. She finished the bottle of beer and got the one from her desk. Well, good thing she had other friends to ask.

Agrita was next. Agrita was always helpful. Saksma rang, and rang, and rang. And the call dropped. It was only on the second time round that Agrita answered. “Hello hello?” Agrita asked. “Sorry, I was taking a nap.” Saksma sighed. Of course she was. Divinity did not need to sleep and yet the Goddess of Rilia was taking a nap. That fit everything.

“I’m calling for help.” Saksma said.

“Of course!” Agrita said. “What can I help with? Anything? Do you need me to come up there?” Saksma pursed her lips. The woman sounded as if she was panicking.

“It’s for the Imperianna.” Saksma said. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Oh.” Saksma could practically hear the disappointment in Agrita’s voice. “Well…” The Goddess of Rilia trailed of and then muted herself. Saksma stared at the notification. Agrita was laughing, wasn’t she? She was howling, cackling with laughter right now. Right this very instant. Saksma took a deep breath and watched the timer on the call tick up to just under a minute. Agrita suddenly turned back on. “Apologies, well, yeah, the signal cut off.”

“I’m sure it did.” Saksma replied. “So?”

“I’m working on it.”

“You’re working on it?” Saksma didn’t even know what that meant.

“Well everyone is working on it.” Agrita said. “I think I’ll win.”

“You think you’ll win.” Saksma repeated. Great. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. “So? Are you going to help or not?”

“There’s this one dress I’m thinking of but I can’t choose. Are you going modern or traditional?”

“I’m not going anything Agri. They sent me fucking bin bags.”

“Oh, well you should look inside them.”

“TO WEAR!” Saksma screamed. “BAGS TO WEAR! NOT WITH CLOTHES! THE BAGS ARE THE CLOTHES!”

“That’s very modern.” Agrita commented as if Saksma needed to know. “Don’t they have nude beaches up there? What if you just turn up naked?”

“I’M NOT TURNING UP NAKED!” Saksma said. “I’M CALLING YOU FOR HELP! YOU HAVE FASHION DESIGNERS!”

“Don’t you have HAUPT?”

“Haupt sent me another military uniform!” Saksma popped open her second bottle and drank. “What do you think I can do?”

“You’d look good in a skirt.” Agrita said. “Do you know how Fortia and Maisara dress? What about them? Don’t they have tailors?” Saksma stared at the trees. Why did she even call Agrita? Of Rilia was not helpful whatsoever. A magician flew into the air and landed behind another building. That was around the area of the Hallin College of Imperial Magic. Those people were doing their fucking job at the very least. And what was Agrita doing?

“Are you going to help me or no?”

“Well I’m not going to give you a dress Saks.” Agrita said. “That defeats the spirit of the competition.” Saksma drank again, saying nothing. She emptied the whole bottle this time and trotted over to her cabinet to get another. No point returning to the window at this point.

“You just want to win.” Saksma said.

“Well of course I do.” Agrita said. “Saksma, you’re a beautiful Goddess, I’m sure you’ll think of something good. Trust me, I know you can do it. Alright, I have to go.”

“What for exactly? What colours should I wear?” Saksma asked.

“I think black would look good on you. It’s striking against your hair. Bring it out. Don’t wear cream, then you’ll be too much of one shade.” Saksma stared at herself in the mirror on the other side of the room. The proud Goddess of Doschia, with her golden hair brushed straight, in a white shirt and dark trousers.

“What about blue?” Saksma asked. She had blue eyes, maybe something like that then?

“Oh no.” Agrita said. “You’d look terrible in blue.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re too stern. Blue’s a soft colour.” Saksma stared at herself. Colours did not have softness or hardness. Colours were colours. And she was not stern. She was funny and jovial and… “What are you even doing?”

“I want to finish my nap.” Agrita said. “I was having a dream about a spider.” Saksma sighed.

“Alright, keep dreaming.”

“Send me a few of your designs and I’ll see what we can do, but I’m not designing anything for you.”

“You should.”

“Yeah but I want to win and Paida’s good at this.” Agrita paused. “If you discover what she’s wearing and send me her design, then I’ll make one for you.”

“I am…” Saksma was about to say that she was not going to help Agrita cheat the Imperianna. She held off on it though, frankly, any help would be appreciated. “I might do it.”

“Super. Alright, too-la-roo.” Agrita dropped the call, Saksma finished the bottle and got another one. Two of her friends were out now. Three actually, because it could not be Paida either. That one would just laugh at her. One left. Aliana. This better be fucking good.

Aliana, at the very least, picked up almost immediately. “Good thing you called.” Aliana said. “I have a problem.”

“Well that’s great because I have a problem too.” Saksma said and then cut off. The other Goddess remained silent as well. Surely… No. It couldn’t be…

“Imperianna?” Aliana asked.

“Imperianna.” Saksma answered.

“Great.”

“Fantastic.”

“My people want to dress me up like a princess.” Well that wasn’t so bad at the very least.

“I’m thinking of a military uniform.” Saksma said and Aliana burst out in laughter. Couldn’t she be like Agrita? “You could have muted yourself.”

“That’s very Dosch.” Aliana said. “So? Are you bringing a cape.”

“I’m not bringing a fucking uniform Aliana.” Saksma finished her bottle, left it on the side and grabbed the next one. “I’m drinking because I don’t know what to do. What sort of problem is this even? Why would Paida even suggest it?”

“Well I know why Paida would suggest it.” Aliana said. “And it’s not difficult.”

“Why?”

“Because the only real competition is Agri?” Aliana said. “What are the rest of us going to wear?” Saksma sighed.

“I’m going to suggest a technology fair then.” Saksma said. “Soon after.”

“Good, I’ll do sailing and horse-riding then.” Aliana said quickly and Saksma physically winced. Now that was unfair. At least with technology, all of them could compete. What could they do in a sailing competition against Allia? It was like trying to outcompete a squirrel in a nut competition.

“So no help?” Saksma asked. “Really, I’ll take anything.”

“Well I know that Arascus likes reserved styles so I’m trying to do something not extravagant.” Aliana said. “Simple, you know.”

“What about a one-piece dress?” Saksma asked. The lack of an immediate response immediately threw that idea out into the bin. The fact that Aliana was obviously holding in laughter shut that bin for good.

“You mean like for a discotheque?”

“What else?”

“You do that Saks.” Aliana said. No. Saksma would not do that. That was a stupid idea. “Have you rung anyone else?”

“I have.” Saksma said.

“Did you know Olonia is getting Olephia?”

“I DO!” Saksma shouted. “SHE’S CHEATING!”

“I know.” Aliana said. “I said the same thing but good on her. At least there’s a third player now.”

“And it’s not us.”

“No.” Aliana confirmed.

“Alright.” Saksma said. She finished her bottle. These were going down quickly. “Thanks for the help. I’ll tell you if I design anything. I’ll ring for more help.”

“Really? Who?”

“Anyone?” Saksma said. Now she would not give her sources up. If Aliana was not going to help and instead just laugh at her, then why should Saksma try and return the favour. “I’ll see. Alright, bye.”

“Bye.” Aliana said and Saksma dropped the call. She stared at her useless phone, then at the screen. Her finger moved seemingly by itself. She had to ask though. There had to be someone in this entire fucking Empire that liked doing this sort of problem solving. Someone who could wrap people around her finger and practically breathed fashion. Surely…

It was an obvious choice, and it was breaking every single regulation imaginable. This number was only for emergencies or diplomacy or assistance, but Saksma still clicked on Helenna’s name and pressed call. The first ring made her heart feel like it was weighed down by stone. By the second, she was hovering over the red end call button. By the third, she was willing herself to press it. By the fourth…

Helenna suddenly answered. “This is Helenna speaking.” Helenna said. “I’m not in the IBI right now Saksma so if you need anything important, there might be a delay.”

“I…” Saksma didn’t even know what she was doing. How could she introduce such a farce of a problem to Helenna of all people. She just stared at her phone.

“Hello? Are you there?” Helenna said.

“I’m sorry.” Saksma said. “I’m sorry but I need some help and I don’t who to ask.” And again, there was a moment of silent just as there had been with Aliana. Helenna was probably questioning her intelligence.

“Have you fallen in love?” Of all the things Helenna could have asked, what the fuck was that?!

“WHAT?! NO!” Saksma shouted, then realised she was speaking to a woman who outranked her, and immediately dropped her tone. “Apologies, no, I’ve not fallen in love. It’s…” She just forced herself to say it. “It’s for the Imperianna ball. Do you know about it?”

“Of course I do.” Helenna said. “It’s in Rancais, we don’t have a date yet but it’s going to be near Aris. Why? Is there an issue? You can’t attend?”

Did Helenna know what she was doing. She had to be. Why even ask that. “I don’t have anything to wear.”

“OOOHHHH THAT’S SO CUTE!” That was not Helenna’s voice. Saksma closed her eyes as tight as she could and emptied the bottle into her mouth. It was Malam. Of course Of Hatred would be. “Saksma sweetheart, you’ve rang the correct people here.”

“Well looks like we are helping you then.” Helenna said. “What’s the issue? Colour scheme? Style?”

“I don’t have anything.”

“Try…” Helenna trailed off. Were they whispering to each other? No. Surely not. “Neo-Reconstructionist.” Saksma stared at herself in the mirror. What did she just hear?

“Ahhh…” She was blushing. But surely she should know, shouldn’t she? This was her own fault for not studying fashion.

“With Imperial Characteristics. I’d suggest Avant-Imperial.” Malam said. “Mix it all together. Neo-Reconstructionist with Avant-Imperial characteristics.” Saksma understood precisely none of those words.

“I don’t know what that is.” Saksma said.

“It has frills, but not too many.” Malam began. “Lace, but not too stringy. It’s long, but does not fall. It’s colourful, not quite grey.” Did that make it any easier to understand? What exactly was she listening to? Saksma sighed.

“I really don’t know what that is.”

“Try a dress.” Helenna said. This time, Saksma genuinely heard the snickering over the phone.

“A dress?”

“Have you heard of the Mirim Style?” Malam asked. Saksma shook her head, then quickly realised she had a phone in her hand. She searched it up.

“Ahh… no?” Saksma asked. There were no results. Maybe Mirim Style Clothes? Still nothing. Was? She was being played with, wasn’t she? They were feeding her designs that did not exist. “Could you… I really don’t know what to wear.”

“Honestly Saksma, my little sweetiepie.” Malam cooed through the phone. “You will look good in anything, do you know that. Do you want to know what I’m wearing?” Now that was the sort of thing Saksma had been hoping for.

“Please.” Saksma said.

“A dress. I’m thinking black.” Malam said. “Oh. Bottle’s empty.” Saksma blinked.

“There’s another in the closet.”

“Who keeps drinks in the closet?”

“It’s so that I can pace you.” Helenna said. “Anyway Saks, we’d love to help, but we’re busy celebrating. Don’t worry, just…” She trailed off.

“Just be yourself!” Malam shouted, then burst out into laughter.

“Exactly. Just be yourself.” Helenna said and turned the phone off. Saksma stared at the little device in her hand and wanted to crush it. Instead, she grabbed another bottle of beer. Surely. Surely there had to be someone who knew about this.

How the phone began to ring Arascus, Saksma did not know. Well, she did, her thumb had pressed his name and then call, but what madness brought that on, she could not quite explain. The worst part was that Arascus answered immediately. Within the moment. “Hello Saksma. This is Arascus speaking, do you have a problem?” Saksma remained silent for a while, then realised she could not just ring and hang up immediately.

As much as she wanted to do anything else in this moment, she did have to explain herself as to why she was wasting his time. “I am stuck because I have nothing to wear for the Imperianna, I’ve rang all the nationals and I’ve rang Helenna and Malam and they didn’t help me. I am honestly stuck sir. I don’t know what to do.”

Arascus remained silent for a while. Finally, he spoke. “Are you serious?”

“I am deadly serious. I need help.” The silence held for ten, maybe twenty seconds. Saksma listened to her own heartbeat, her mind was filled with another regret each time she listened to the nervous thump. What the fuck was she even doing here? Ringing Arascus for help on a dress? Arascus surely had more important things going on than managing such trite bullshit! Oh he would think she was stupid! Or just pathetic! A little Goddess who couldn’t even pick her own clothes! Why had she even rang him!?

“Go for something fun.” Arascus said suddenly. “I don’t have the time to design a dress for you, but go for something fun if you’re nervous. Don’t think about embarrassing and don’t worry about the competition, just wear something you’ll enjoy wearing. Does that help?”

“Plenty. Thank you. Apologies.” Saksma felt her cheeks start to burn up. “I’m going to go now. Thank you. I promise I’ll never ring about something this stupid again.”

Arascus laughed from the other side. “Don’t worry about it. Knock yourself out.” He hung up the call and Saksma finally released her breath. She finished the bottle of beer in one go and went back to her cabinet to get another. What an idiot. Shameful and beyond embarrassing, to think she actually had the gall to call Arascus about such stupidity? Fucking idiot. Saksma wanted to curl up into a ball and disappear. Next time she would see him, she would have to apologise. She would have to bring him a crate of beer at the very least.

Saksma stopped for a moment. No. Actually, Arascus had given her some good advice. Knock yourself out. She grabbed the next bottle of beer. She would do exactly that.