Chapter 54: Consequences of underestimation.
The strange phenomenon in the sky continued to reappear for the next three days. While the emperor issued an edict, claiming the eyes were the effect of him using a heaven defying skill, only few believed it.
But when on the second afternoon the city guards, with shaky hands at first, began to execute directly on the streets those who claimed there was some kind of appearance of a deity, or blatantly urged people to join the Hand of God, the capital was washed with blood.
Victoria's suggestion turned out to be the correct one. The order was immediately restored, and no one dared to loudly oppose the empire, just like before.
Of course, people kept whispering at homes or on street corners when they were certain no one was listening, but the event was destined to be forgotten with time, and become a legend or a fairy tale.
In order to not risk his neck during the chaos, Lee went back to Thousand Needles only five days later. The streets were still flooded with guards, but when the eyes in the sky stopped appearing, most people went back to their regular lives, and the guards also stopped bothering every passerby.
"It's not easy to get the thing you asked for." Logan said when Lee finally arrived, "And it's very, very expensive."
Lee, obviously, expected that. He said, "Isn't the organization ready to make an investment in order to eliminate one of the big-shots?"
"It would be, but you saw what went on in Sunwell during the past days. And our funds are thin at the moment." Logan said.
Lee expected that as well. But he had an idea how to reimburse the losses the Hand of God would suffer. Orpen was planning on holding the first official horse race competition, and because of that the annual party wouldn't only be attended by the most distinguished people of the capital.