Chapter 161
City of Tienhai. Industrial District. "Industries of the Future" Factory. Yo.
Near the massive, entirely metallic factory building, signs of a recent battle between powerful mages of various elements were evident. Black scorch marks marred the outer walls, and bodies from both sides lay scattered here and there. Some showed no signs of life, though most casualties were among the attacking bandits.
"Could they have been after the schematics?" I wondered. The question of producing their own atomobiles remained open, but building their own factory seemed unlikely. "Though maybe they don't need one... Their organization isn't large yet, so a couple dozen atomobiles would give them significant mobility."
"Straight-up steampunk," I muttered under my breath, glancing at the factory and the police airships hovering above. Their appearance truly evoked a specific genre of science fiction.
The final months of summer had been unusually "nerve-wracking." The Equalists' activity forced me to patrol the city daily, preventing kidnappings, document thefts, and outright murders. There was no doubt the Equalists were behind it all. Thanks to my open chakras, I could eavesdrop on the entire city, where members of their organization communicated in one way or another. After taking a hit, they should calm down for a while—at least, I hoped so.
Unfortunately, I still hadn't located their main base. Those I "accidentally" let slip away had scattered across the city, making no suspicious moves. I'd searched the city thoroughly, so I was certain their main forces weren't here. The Equalists' leaders were unusually clever—they'd prepared for any unexpected outcome. First, they left exposed fighters in the city itself, correctly assuming they'd be monitored. Second, some key figures in their organization, like the Lieutenant, had been given volatile substances that could confuse even the most experienced tracker. That's how I lost sight of that staff-wielding enthusiast—I'd relied too much on my sharp sense of smell.
In truth, the discontent of ordinary, non-bending people would have grown even without the Equalists. The Equalists were a product of the overall situation in the world. Though even without concrete evidence, I'm certain a malevolent spirit is behind it all. Dark energy unites people better than any friendship, as I've seen with the Fire Sages, who constantly bickered until they summoned a fragment of dark energy.
No matter how much I try to limit the benders, they'll always feel slightly superior. And ordinary people bear much of the blame for that. Over centuries, submission to benders has become ingrained in their genes—how could it be otherwise? After all, benders command nature itself! Seeing this attitude, benders naturally feel special. Conflict didn't escalate earlier because of the war. For example, Earth Kingdom citizens thought, "Better our own earthbenders run amok than the firebenders we hate." Maybe I didn't explain it well, but in my previous world, governments often used similar methods. They'd blow up an object, blame terrorists, scare the population into submission, and restrict their rights. Another favorite way to influence the masses was to create a military conflict. Previously, people just didn't focus much on this issue. Now, the accumulated discontent could erupt unpredictably. And in that sense, the Equalists become a useful filter, allowing me to influence the situation—as long as I find their base and plant some botanical surprises from Dria and Selin.
Toward the end of the conflict, when the Equalists exhaust themselves, the Air Nomad will sweep through them like a roller, imbuing them with Rava's light energy and finally sending the dark particles to the Spirit World. Fortunately, Aang managed to briefly contact the weakened Rava, who promised to help when she senses Vatu's dark energy. My task will be to ensure no one connected to Vatu escapes. By then, one of my projects should be complete—it promises to nearly equalize ordinary people with benders.