Chapter 216: The Hypocrisy.
I grabbed Moonwash and the endrasen parts we set aside as I initiated the teleport back. The mark on my chest hummed in power as the world around us began to fractalize from the space magic. That was when I realized that I could actually feed the Mark of The Beast more energy while in this state. It would take my space mana. I fed the mark a trickle, before I finally registered the danger.
This could be a risk. I carried Moonwash with me. She could not heal like I could, from any injury. She only had one brain, unlike me. It means I’m now three times smarter than her!
It was thanks to those other brains, that I realized my recklessness. Although, it might also be thanks to them, that my recklessness was exacerbated in the first place.
The warping of the space around us continued, and it was definitely going faster and better than ever before. Whether or not that was due to the added mana, or just a qualitative leap thanks to my evolution, was left to be seen.
We finally disappeared from the mountains, and reappeared within Pandemonium’s depths.
I knew that the alert wasn’t as urgent, but I still immediately shouted to the walls around me. “Pandemonium! What’s going on!? What happened?! Why did you call us?!”
The ceiling rumbled, and I got my directions.
I just ran straight ahead as the corridors themselves made way for me.
I jumped up and flew once there was an opening, and I did not stop to take in the Arisen City that I ruled. I trusted Granuel to handle it. I only enjoyed the title of Demon Queen, but maybe I really should not have taken this job.
I found Granuel’s office, and flew right to his window. The glass shook from my arrival, but I’d made sure to not go super sonic so it was fine. My friend opened the way for me before I could knock.
“Oh, Haell! You’re here. That’s good.”
“You called, didn’t you?” I furrowed my brows.
He scratched his head. “Yeah. I did. Come in.”
I did just that, and hopped onto the chair sized just right for me. “So, what’s up?”
“This will be a better explanation.” He slid an envelope over the table.
I raised a brow and picked it right up.
___________
Granuel.
Duke Zander Draka’s forces are committing a genocide, and they claim to be doing so under the Demon Queen Haell Zharignan’s direction. I have seen reports of a few smaller settlements being entirely burned down. The others have been purged excessively, while those they allow to survive are forced into terrible contracts and forever forced to wear some symbol over their clothing or even their skin to signify that they were once from Edengar. That they stood with that doomed place until the end.
Wilster and Blanett City have already befallen this sort of tragedy, along with the villages and towns around them.
–Entarin
___________
Oh. OH NO.
My eyes widened. I grew angry. This was not what I wanted. Even in my darkest moment, I did not go this far. And yet they dared to put this on me!? They claimed my command, when I had not talked to them once! They used my name, the one I was proud of, to create what I only wished to destroy! In fact, I will destroy them. I alone should be enough by now. There’s no need to ask for help anymore. My friends and family can be safe. I will dismantle Angelore myself. And… maybe parts of New Grandera too. Those fucking thoughtless imbeciles!
…They were just like me.
My brows started to furrow as my suspicions grew. The letter didn’t really ask us to address anything, it wasn’t even addressed to me. The source of the information was suspect too, because Entarin hated me, no matter how valid his reasons. He didn’t even provide any proof.
Granuel voiced my same concerns.
“Why’d he send that to me? What did I do?”
I couldn’t help it. I laughed.
My three minds continued to ponder the situation.
“He hates me,” I stated the obvious. “So it’s probably just that he doesn’t want to interact with me directly. I respect that.”
“That’s true,” my ishkawtan friend nodded. “It’s not an unthinkable escalation given the state of the war. I think Entarin wants you… or anyone really, to do something about it. But he definitely doesn’t want to owe you or any of us a favor. So he just gave us the information, knowing how we’ll react, and that we’ll be able to resolve it.”
“And he knew correctly.” I stood, my hearts beginning to pump mana into my veins faster.
“WAIT!” Granuel suddenly shouted.
“What?” I responded snappily.
“It could be a trap. This could be a way to get back at you, or something. He’s with Southern New Grandera, and you know how there’s been tension between them and Northern New Grandera. This could be a ploy to sicc you on them.”
I narrowed my eyes, staring at him. “...That makes sense. I’d like to say Entarin wouldn’t do that, but I guess never really knew the guy all that well. However, I need to at least check it out. I can’t risk it. I can’t take an insult like this. It’s… I can see why they might think I’d like this, so I’ll put an end to that notion right now. Even if it makes me a hypocrite.”
Granuel shook his head.
“No?” I challenged, my voice veering into a growl.
“It doesn’t have to be you,” my friend raised a hand to forestall my immediate rebuttals that he knew were coming. “I have spies. I have a team. I’m the President Mayor of your City State. That’s what we’re here for.”
“That… makes sense. But we still can’t afford to wait. Not if there’s a genocide out there. Every second is another life lost in my name.” There’s already been way too many of those. And there will be more.
“No. We can and should wait! It’s really unfortunate if our information is true, but do you really want to do another Burning of Gardine!?”
“What…? Of course not!” I fumed.
Granuel’s eyes widened. He involuntarily took a step back.
I breathed deep and controlled myself. “Sorry. I got heated there. Continue.”
My friend waved it off and coughed into a hand. “So, as I was saying. You going off on your own is probably not the best idea. I believe you when you say you won’t burn down a whole city again, but how easy would it be for you to go overboard?” His sharp eyes looked me up and down… from his much lower vantage point. I’d grown bigger, stronger. I’d evolved.
“Okay. That all makes sense. But I still can’t let it drag on for that long. I’ll listen to advice, however, so give me some of your spies.”
“Alright,” he smiled. “That’s an excellent compromise.”
I looked at the corner of a bookshelf where a belfegor man suddenly materialized. I’d known he was there the whole time, of course. But that’s a Level 40 agent, serving Granuel who was an evolution below.
It’s a good start.
~~~
Only a few minutes later, I was flying away from Arisen. Thunder boomed in our wake, a shadow of the thunderstorm it could’ve been. I carried the belfegor man in one arm, and a centaur woman in the other. The latter was actually hard to figure out, as even if I had the strength in spades, their species’ shape just made them awkward to carry. I was flying faster than my passengers’ screams right now, so I really had to get it right else they might physically snap.
I eventually slowed, once I began to suspect we were nearing our destination. I stopped our mode of travel from being so loud and obvious. I coasted for a time, until I jostled the two people in my arms.
“Alright. Time to do your jobs.”
“I… what?” the belfegor man vomited.
“No more…” the centaur woman pleaded
I rolled my Devil Eyes. I even took the most robust of Granuel’s agents I could find, and they still reacted like this.
I landed us in the plains for the moment, a few of the Angel’s Demise visibly roaming about. I frowned at them, knowing what they did to people. They were… my allies in this war, and they’d slaughtered far more innocents that I or anyone else in this war ever had. Probably.
I dropped my cargo, and allowed them to writhe for a moment. They praised the ground, as if it was some sort of god. It was comical. I was annoyed, but that was just another part of my way of being.
Regardless, it looked like those two agents would take a while, so I formed a ball of hellfire over my palm as I walked away. It was hot enough to instantly pulverize most foes, I knew, especially given its hunger for organic flesh.
“Hellfire.”
I then formed a ritual made of my blood over the other palm, and the result was so much hotter. Beyond my wildest expectations. It singed even me, along with the armored gloves over my hand.
That’s right. This was only natural. Not only was the ritual formed by three hero-rank brains–with one specialized for the task–but my tongue was also now that of a Devil.
[Devil’s Tongue - Speak words into power.]
That’s what that meant. It empowered my rituals further.
I worked on forming my rituals faster, until my allies for this mission finally got their shit together and walked back up to me.
“Alright. Let’s go.” I was in a hurry.
The two of them looked at each other, and finally firmed their resolve.
“Okay.”
“We’re going.”
“Leave this to us.”
~~~
I sat cross-legged as space formed and reformed around me. They struck each other in an attempt to create that spatial ‘spark’, but no slicing force was forthcoming. It just fizzled out and returned to normal. I kept on trying to replicate Moonwash’s dimensional slice until Granuel’s spies came back from the nearest village a few hours later to report.
“So?” I asked.
The centaur woman, Ela, stepped forward to explain. “They were immediately rude and hostile when we arrived, but did calm down a little once we showed our documents and badges, showing us as people from New Grandera. Citizens born and raised there.”
“I see,” I nodded. “I thought you were from Arisen City? Are you not?”
They glanced at one another, a quick and silent conversation taking place.
“We have the credentials for both.”
“All three, actually. I don’t think being from Southern New Grandera would’ve been received as well, not right now. And being from your faction is always a toss-up.”
“Is dual or triple citizenship even allowed?” I asked.
“It might not be for long, but for now, if you have the power and influence for it then it’s possible to get all three.”
“Not that it’s super hard to fabricate or slip through the cracks anyway.
“Ahhhh. Makes sense, makes sense. So, what did you find?”
“Well…”
They explained to me the state of the town. To say it was ‘gloomy,’ was putting it lightly. People were not free to leave. There were curfews. Search and seizures. Soldiers roamed the streets with a heavy and scrutinizing eye aimed at the natives.
“So they’re effectively under a military dictatorship, then,” I frowned.
“It’s to be expected,” Ela said. “We’re at war, and we’re taking over territory that hates us. Rebellions are popping up left and right, and our armies are doing their best to stomp them out.”
“We’re expanding too fast,” Ornole, the Belfegor, added. “Neither North nor South has even digested the gains from taking over the forest half this side of the barrier range.”
“But we have to do it now. Edengar has finally fallen,” Ela glanced at me, “and that’s great. But now they’re in chaos, and their previous territories are left weakened and vulnerable against the continued advance of the Angel’s Demise. A whole bunch of them are even surrendering to us just to get the cursetaceans to leave them alone.”
The Angel’s Demise had actually already slowed down their offensive here. That was the best I could do, with the meager influence granted by my Curse of Cursifix soul feat. Many of these places were still recognized somehow, as being part of Angelore.
“Alright.” I brought their attention back to me. “So what about the whole settlements burned down? The markings people are forced to wear? The camps?”
“We’ve heard some whispers,” the belfegor reported. “You… could already think of the people in this village as being trapped within their walls. An open-air prison. But I’ll need to see some other towns to know for sure.”
“Okay then.” I picked the both of them up, and they squirmed. “Don’t worry. This time, I’ll be gentler.”
And I was. I didn’t want to alert everyone to our activities here so soon, so I actually cruised lower to the ground without going supersonic.
~~~
The next village grew visible in the distance. It was a black blot along the green of the plains. It became readily apparent that no one lived there anymore.
The land was charred, the walls in collapse, and the homes within reduced to ash. This was only the burnt remains of a town that was once alive.
I stopped right in front of it, and dropped the two spies on the ground. I stared at this sight, and it was as if I could peer into the past. The screams of the dying and the damned, the smell of bodies burning in the fire, a bloody light reflected unto my eyes.
Above it all I flew, without mercy, without a soul.
I pulled my fist back and gnashed my teeth.
Entarin was telling the truth. The people who did this, they were emulating me. I was the origin of this evil.
This mess was mine, and I would be the one to clean it up.
~~~
I took a quick trip back home, and then back again. It involved me feeding space mana into my Mark of The Beast, and I found that the added power stabilized the process. I was able to take more stuff with me. I could even feed the mark more mana while it was down, to hasten the cooldown and teleport again sooner.
Night had fallen by the time I flew back into the outcropping where Granuel’s subordinates hid. I carried Moonwash with me, and the two familiar spies reached for their weapons upon my approach, but they very quickly relaxed once they understood who it was.
I set my girlfriend down, and then we immediately got to talking about our objectives. My allies here had apparently already secured a lead for us to get into the city unnoticed.
That was good. They were competent. I expected nothing less of Granuel’s subordinates.
I couldn’t help but think of how Luine would’ve handled this as I looked at them. I would’ve asked for her help… if she was still here. I should’ve hung out with her more while I still had the chance. We’d made a home in an isolated place like this once. I would kill just to see her familiar face again.
I swallowed that wave of grief, and eased the tension in my muscles.
“What else did you find?” I asked to the people who were here, as Moonwash began working on my make-up.
“Well… the situation is about as described.”
“I looked at the contracts these people are in… and it is very close to slavery. No freedom of movement, grueling work hours they can’t challenge, and a bunch of other things.”
“They don’t have the option of refusing either. Else they would be accused of treason, of wanting to rebel, to collude with Angelore, or of still being loyal to the fallen kingdom of Edengar.”
I gave a grim nod once I heard their reports. I thought about our plans, and questioned if it was even still necessary. What need is there to continue with this subterfuge? Have I not heard enough? Have I not seen enough!?
It was the gravest of insults. They spat on my name and ruined my legacy. I’d… already ruined it myself, and that was fine. It was the consequence of my own actions. But it wasn’t just my legacy anymore, for whether unjustly or not, Angerly and even Luine’s name had become tied to my actions. Their histories were forcibly seared into my own by the flames of a dying civilization.
The atrocities of today still stem from the echoes of the Burning of Gardine.
~~~
I masqueraded as an ogre as I made my way to the fields of wheat with Moonwash and my spy allies. I had not hidden what I was like this in a long time, and it made my skin crawl, but I just had to suck it up. People were suffering so much more because of my actions. Even here, I could see the beginnings of that reality. It was reflected in how much of the farms had lost their luster. Those who tended to it fared no better.
The sun was just rising, and they were already being forced out of their huts. Soldiers shouted at them, as if that would make them perform better. They were kicked and ridiculed as they got to work, always with a taskmaster nearby.
Dead bodies had been strung up and put on display, to remind them what would happen to those who tried to run away.
“Keep moving!”
“Go! GO!”
“What was that? Speak up!”
“I lost my mom because of you! MY MOM!”
“How’s it feel to be on the other end of the blade, bitch!?”
“This is nothing compared to the years of oppression you put us through!”
Some of their voices reached me. Too many were sentiments I myself had expressed. But I of course didn’t blame common farmers for it, I never did!
I sure acted like I did when I burned them alive.
I allowed myself to be led to a broken part of the fence, where we ducked across the fields of wheat until we reached a hut by the wall. Behind it was a hole in the city’s walls, further hidden in between a thick cluster of wooden spines meant to deter a military charge.
There was a shady woman watching over it, and she gave a nod to my companions for us to go through.
We went past the wall, and arrived inside a dim warehouse filled with a few people who definitely looked the part of being criminals. Granuel’s subordinates paid them off, and we were led past the door where we were finally able to see the proper city.
A terrible smell immediately hit me. The place was not being maintained properly. The few people who walked the streets were just as dirty. Many wore pieces of clothing that showed the symbol of an angel’s halo broken. They looked tired, listless, more overworked than most of the people under Edengar ever were.
We walked on. I kept my eyes wide open as I took in every consequence of my actions. I trailed behind the others, for the Mark of The Beast remained emblazoned and proud across my dark gray cloak. Moonwash had to hide it with her magic. It was by no means her specialty, but her sheer levels were at least able to brute force it.
I saw more of how this city functioned as its people woke up. Bards sang of the Burning of Gardine as if it was some heroic tale when it was the opposite. Soldiers walked among the original denizens of this land, and scrutinized their every move. They abused those who wore the symbols of the broken halo, accusing everyone of secretly being a rebel. This place’s citizens had to paint or stitch or even tattoo those symbols themselves, but they had to get it right, else they would be beaten or worse.
It was exactly as I’d been told. It was worse. I saw the truth for myself.
~~~
Soldiers sparred with each other across an open field. They repeated the same exercises over and over. My whole entourage hid in a nearby alley as Duke Zander Draka appeared to inspect the training of his forces. There were a handful of gold-ranked knights among these people, which ran the risk of me being discovered. Not that it would matter, at this point.
“Good. You’re all keeping sharp.” The kobold duke praised as his military finished another drill. “Keep those blades polished. Our enemies are dead and dying, but this war isn’t over. Not even close. It started with the Burning of Gardine, and now we shall burn the entirety of Angelore to the ground!”
“YEAAAAAHHHH!”
“WOOOOO!!!”
“FOR NEW GRANDERA!”
“DEATH TO THE SHEPHERDS! DEATH TO THE ANGELS!”
My eyes widened, for only now did I realize that I’d not seen a single fucking shepherd in my entire time here.
That’s it. I’ve had enough.
I finally made my move. I took one step, and the ground in front of Zander suddenly exploded. The sound of thunder roared through the space, but his subordinates reacted fast. The duke’s personal guards pulled Zander back and shielded him with their bodies. Soldiers rushed forward to intercept me, even though it would've already been too late had I actually gone for the kill.
They truly were well trained.
Sadly for them, I was too powerful for that to mean anything. My sword broke their own, and their shields shattered. The duke wisely shouted his commands toward them before the situation could escalate any further.
"STOP!” He glared at me amicably, but I wasn’t fooled. I knew anger more than anyone. “Haell, right? What... brings you here?"
“Oh, nothing much. I received a tip about how you’re doing a genocide here and using my name to do it.”
“Those are… some very unfortunate rumors, then. I can understand why someone would think so at an uneducated glance, but that accusation lacks all context. Please, let us discuss this in a more private setting so I can explain to you what happened.”
“I saw it, you know?” I ignored his request. “The destroyed village. The way you’re running this place. It’s even worse than what Edengar did.”
He frowned, glancing at the people around us. He clearly did not wish to have this conversation in public, but we both knew that I didn’t care. This talk would happen right here, right now, outside of his control. “You don’t understand. You’ve only seen some of it, and I can see why that would paint an unflattering picture. But this is a very complicated issue. We’ve faced countless rebellions from the Edengarians we took over. Even after they were the ones who asked us to come! It’s all a trap. These measures are necessary for everyone’s safety.”
“That sounds difficult. But so is your solution to just kill them all? Enslave them? Stop acting like it's a necessity, I’ve seen in your people how this is more about cruelty and revenge.”
“I can’t control how they feel about it. But we’re not enslaving anyone. Times are just a little hard for them right now, as it’s been for my people for decades. And neither are we killing everyone. That’s only if they’re rebels.”
“You mean like how Edengar thought of everyone in New Grandera?”
He glared at me, his anger finally escaping containment. “That’s different, and you know it. Who are you to judge us in the first place!? You’re the one who did The Burning of Gardine! You fucking hypocrite!”
I paused.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I… did something terrible then. Perhaps it makes me a hypocrite to wish to make up it. But so be it. I’ll be a hypocrite if that’s what it takes.” I genuinely hated the very idea, but it’s my fault for making the choices that I did. “I’ll give you one warning. Stop this madness. Free all your slaves from their contracts. And stop genociding whole settlements.”
“You…” his face contorted. “You arrogant imbecile! You don’t have the authority to tell me what to do. You’re not even a real queen, you rule over only a single city! That’s less than a duke!”
I nodded again. I expected that refusal. I’ve already made my decision anyway, so it changes nothing.
This was a disease that would need to be cut at the source before it could spread any further.
Duke Zander gritted his fangs. “If you really want, then I will stop using your name for this. I’ll apologize to everyone for I did not realize how much of a hypocrite you were! You burned out the root of their disease, but condemn us for doing the same!”
“Alright. I’ll keep that apology in mind.”
He snarled, but thought better of explaining his sarcasm. “You pathetic hypocrite. It was a wasted effort, to have ever tried allying with you.”
“I don’t disagree. I never appreciated your invitations.”
I was sure he had some new clever response to me, but I was over this conversation at this point. The time for my words had long passed. By the same pathetic hypocrite he mocked, Duke Zander Draka was killed.
It wasn’t hard. My sword sliced right through him and his guards. The sheer force behind my attack produced a shockwave that swept the remaining guards and soldiers off their feet. Windows shook, and roofs lost some of their tiles.
The whole army of the city turned on me now, and I glared at them to calm them down. Way too many of them collapsed as I opened my wings wide and flew above the chaos.
I opened my mouth to speak, just like that fateful day when I made the mistakes that led to this scenario.
“I am Haell Zharignan, the one behind the Burning of Gardine. You lot seem to have so many ideas about me, so let me enlighten you. The threats I made that day when Gardine burned still stand, but that does not mean I am proud of my actions. Everyone who came with me was against it. It was the lonely path I carved to protect those I care about. But I will not allow anyone else to use it! I do not wish for my genocide to be repeated! I especially hate the slavery you’re committing! I don’t want any of it to be done at all!”
“So here I take ownership over these domains. I will take on this sin, and allow no one else to commit them. Do as I have done, and I will be your enemy. For all you who have sung my praises, or spat my curses: You know exactly what that means.”
My aura steadily grew, up to the point where people might start fainting again.
“Be it in genocide or in slavery. I am no paragon who can find a better way and convince you peacefully. I am a naked blade, the consequence.”