Dark Fate, Chapter 278 (Patreon)

Chapter 278 – Meeting

(Conference Room 3, Qasr Al Watan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)

The blood had been cleaned from halls of the Palace of the Nation, but the damage from the bloody revolution was still visible in many places. Spells and weapons had not been kind to the halls. Still, much of the damage was cosmetic. It could be fixed, in time. And as both the official seat of the nation and a major venue for hosting foreign leaders and state visits, it was only appropriate that the meeting be held here.

Also, there was nowhere more appropriate that was in better condition.

Taamir el-Anwar shook his head as he considered the insanity that had led to this. The Flames of Vengeance had swept through the people, igniting old hatreds and slumbering discontent. As head of the Emirates Adventurers Guild, he had managed to steer some of the anger, directing at the royals, and the corporations. Allah would not be kind to him for the things he had done, knowingly, in order to keep the bloodthirsty mob from destroying everything in their rage, but he would accept that.

Because of his leadership, and the way the adventurers under his command helped steer the rioters, much of the country’s infrastructure was more or less intact. Local leaders were still alive, unless they were particularly corrupt, or someone had specific grievances with them. The foreign workers who made up the majority of the population were able to fight side by side with the native citizens. The military either died or joined with the riots, and the corporations bled while the executives fled.

He was not proud of any of it. But it had to be done, if there was going to be anything left for after. They lived in the desert, after all. You could not drink sand, and righteousness would not keep you cool in the midday heat. If he had tried to keep his hands clean, then the damage would have undoubtedly consumed the things that the people needed to survive in this land. He orchestrated all that death, and he would own that, because it needed to be done, or more would die in the months to come.

He glanced at the women standing next to him, fifteen in total, each of them dressed in simple clothes, but with a [Slave Collar] around their necks. This was, perhaps, the worst of his sins. He had sent his adventurers ahead of the horde, and they managed to extract some of the unwed sisters and daughters of the royal families, as well as most of the children, who had yet to unlock their System. The children were being split up, amongst the people, hidden in plain sight as orphans, of which there were far too many following the fighting. They would, at least, have the chance to live, which was more than their fathers got.

As for the women? He’d had his people put slave collars on them, as the only form of protection he could give them in the heat of the moment. Even then, they were only able to get to a fraction of them before the rioters did. The ones his people couldn’t rescue met the same fate as the rest of the royals.

But his sins didn’t end there. He’d kept the women close, like trophies, for safekeeping. After the rest of the royals were torn limb from limb, he was able to convince the mob that these women were more useful as slaves and bartering chips, to help bring in aid. After all, who among them knew anything about running a country? The people accepted that, especially when new targets were pointed out to them, to give the Flames direction.

By the time the Flames had faded, he had managed to get in contact with the Guild branches across the UAE, as well as the different mayors and local leaders around the country. Everyone agreed that they needed help. The national government had been all but wiped out, there was no military, most of the corporations were in chaos, or worse, and things would not improve on their own. But all the neighboring countries had been hit just as hard, or harder, by the Flames, and no one wanted to invite the established world powers in to rule them.

It was Setareh Tajik, the Iranian-born leader of the Guild Chapter in Dubai, who came up with the solution. She told everyone that, if they could not stomach bowing their heads to the old powers, then perhaps they should consider a newly arisen power. There was one power that had the technology to help settle the country, and proved that they could defend their territory against attacks. Ceres.

Surprisingly, she had supported him in his dealings with the women and children of the royal families. She was too pragmatic to let sentimentality get in the way of reality, which was probably to be expected from a Wizard / Scholar like her. Indeed, she openly praised his ‘foresight’, since it was known that the Demon Lord of Ceres was an evolved kind of Incubus. And what better gift to try and win a sex demon’s favor than women?

Not that anyone was stupid enough to believe that the Demon Lord could be led around by his dick. The Chinese had tried to do that, and the video that had been released proved that the Demon Lord laughed at such attempts. After all, he had enough women to ensure he was never desperate, and you could not blackmail someone who admitted to their actions openly, and without shame. There was a sinful kind of respectability in that, Taamir had to admit. He was, at least, more honest than many who claimed to be of greater faith but had secrets behind closed doors.

Idrees al-Laham, the mayor of Abu Dhabi, and the senior elected official in the country, walked in, with Setareh at his side. He glanced once at the enslaved royals, and then back to Taamir. “The Demon Lord’s shuttle has landed at the helipad, Guildmaster el-Anwar. The Si Vis Pacem remains overhead. The Emperor and his honor guard are on their way.” Idrees paused, and then said, “As if someone like him needs guards, when all of us have this Peaceful Aura which makes it near impossible for us to attack, and prevents us from doing any meaningful damage even if we do hit someone or something.”

Setareh chuckled, and said, “It is the symbol of it, Mayor al-Laham. Same as having the meeting here, in this palace. Same as our providing ‘tribute’ to the one we would ask to be our King. Symbols are rallying cries, especially in unsettled times. That is why the Guildmaster was able to redirect the Flames to cause as little permanent damage as possible. He used symbols to guide the people, and channel their rage, until it burnt itself out.”

Taamir nodded. “And my soul weighs heavy with what I had to do, and what I ordered people to do, in my name. But the alternative was worse.”

“Then that means you are still a good man,” called a voice that radiated power. The voice’s owner stepped through the door, and his presence was like a tidal wave. Taamir was level 34 in Tier 1, a respectable number, but he’d been in the presence of Tier 2 individuals, before, and felt the way they just appeared to be more than those around them. That was nothing compared to a Tier 3, like the Demon Lord.

Taamir forced himself to speak. “Emperor Greene, thank you for coming yourself. But, if I might ask, what did you mean by that?”

Emperor Greene chuckled, and the sound rolled through the room in such a way that he noticed the royal slaves next to him biting their lips, and pressing their thighs closer together. And it did not even look as though they knew they were doing it. That must be the legendary charisma of the Demon Lord that he had heard about at work.

“The answer is simple, Guildmaster. A good man forced to make hard choices will always regret the things he has done, even if he knows they are the right thing. A ruthless man makes peace with the choice, and will not lose sleep over doing what must be done. If he regrets anything, it will be that his strength was not enough to make other choices possible. But you should always watch those who smile at the terrible things they’ve done, for they’ve taken the first steps to madness, and may become a problem that must be solved before they get too powerful to keep controlled.”

The Demon Lord took a breath, and then seemed to visibly reel in his aura, while his demonic form shifted into the human one that was just as famous around the world. “Well, then,” he said, and his voice was like a normal person again, “I think you’ve all passed the test. No falling to your knees, screaming in terror, or calling for the demon to be cast out. Whether that’s due to your own fortitude, or the Peaceful Aura, I’m not sure, but either way, you did good to withstand my magical pressure. Now, I’m sure you all know who I am, and my intelligence section compiled a dossier on Guildmaster el-Anwar when the Empire received your petition. But perhaps we can do introductions for the others?”

It was not a question, and they all knew it. Taamir introduced the Mayor and the Guild Chapter Leader, as well as himself, for good measure, before introducing the slave girls. He made sure to mention that the slaves were tribute, but also that they would be in danger if they remained in the country, especially since their wealth and resources was gone.

“Well, that much is easy enough to handle. They will be brought to Ceres with me, and we will see whether they have any skills or abilities beyond just being beautiful. I’ve found that having worthwhile work helps keep people, even those enslaved under the System, more content and less prone to destructive habits. Especially when the work is properly valued and rewarded.”

The Demon Lord in human form looked at him, and said, “So, why the Kingdom, instead of the Empire?”

Taamir had been expecting this question. “After Chapter Leader Tajik suggested we approach Ceres, there was some discussion about just that. However, while Panama, and the other countries which first allowed the Kingdom to become an Empire, had a somewhat functioning government laid low by the tribulations of the System, the same cannot be said for the United Arab Emirates, as the only unifying force in the country is the Emirates Adventurers Guild, and I know better than to say that I could run the entire country. Nor would I want to.”

Setareh nodded. “And when the Guildmaster said that openly in our council, well, it became clear that the country would need rebuilding, and if we were going to be changing things, then our status would be higher as the first Earth-bound direct territory of the Kingdom, rather than another piece of the Empire. And considering that much of the country’s workforce are immigrants, and much of the economy is reliant on tourism? And most of the country’s corporations have been gutted? That status will be a major selling point for tourists.”

The Demon Lord nodded slowly. “It will also make this country a focal point for spies and those who hope to strike at the Kingdom itself, rather than the Empire. Which would force me to make more examples of people.”

Taamir shook his head. “With Israel no longer in the picture causing tensions to rise, and the Americans no longer having bases in the region, there are fewer threats of that nature these days. Honestly, before the Flames, the region had been more peaceful than it had been at any point since before the first World War. And with the Flames serving as effectively a flash-fire to clear away much of the underlying resentments and such that help fuel extremists? The risks are lower than they might appear.”

“So, you thought it through, including the potential pitfalls. And the various local leaders you got together to sign the petition are happy with the United Arab Emirates becoming one whole as part of the Kingdom of Ceres, under the Ceresan Empire?”

Idrees nodded. “They are, your Majesty. Since there was little point keeping the different Emirates separate with the royal families dead or offered to you, it was certain that the country would be unified. With that being the case, and the likelihood that the ‘on the ground’ governance would be the same either way, it was merely a choice of whether we wished to be another Imperial territory, or have the status of being an integral part of the Kingdom. That wasn’t much of a choice.”

The Demon Lord laughed at that. “Well, then. Let’s get to work.”