meakashi
patreon
Chapter 105 - Duties Of A Leader
🕑 Added 2018-07-08 14:06:38 +0000 UTC My conversation with Senka went until the next morning. We pondered the pros and cons of finding and destroying the Imagination Engine, and it has left me mentally drained. We weren't able to come to a conclusive decision on the matter since neither of us knows all the factors. What happens to those beings whose lives are based on magic? What if all demons, which were created by Alverost, are actually magical in nature? Would they all fall apart and turn into goo, or just disappear completely?But there is also good news; the doll girl told me that Hestia is on her way to meet me here. While I wait, I'll have some time to start working on administrative duties that come with the supreme commander title. I'm not really looking forward to it since I'd rather go out and just liberate the dominion myself.
When I enter the dining hall, a sense of nostalgia washes over me. The long table, the chairs with tall backrests, and the maids standing by - it looks the same as that fateful first morning of my new life in this world.
But there is no demon queen sitting at the end of the table, greeting me with a smile. Instead, several people are already having breakfast without me - namely my entourage. The clan leaders will convene with me later in the day to discuss our further steps in this war, although I expected them to be here right now. I guess this place is reserved for family members and their guests.
"What would you like for breakfast, Your Highness?" Rewera comes up to me and asks with a graceful bow.
"Did you preserve the bodies as I told you to?" To commemorate that I finally returned, I'll travel down memory lane all the way; I'll eat the same as what I had the first time I entered this room. When the giant maid answers in the affirmative, I let her know my choice. "Then make steamed heads and stuffed torsos."
But unlike that time, my appetite has grown exponentially. While I haven't been feeling constant hunger like I did back when my mass was still little - unlike what Mataku believes a Crawling Chaos does the more it grows - I still do like to consume a lot.
I look at Korenga. We had a long conversation on the bridge of the Chaos carrier about my nature and the fact that I'm a member of the species Mataku belongs to. She remained quite thoughtful afterward but accepted it on the basis that she has been traveling with me for a while and knows me enough to trust me. If I ever deceived her, she would have my head though.
Tokomaha and Aurelia have accepted me the way I am already anyway, and Tahiri doesn't think any less of me because of that. In fact, once when I talked to her alone on top of the balloon of the airship, she praised me for being able to control my hunger and the desires that drive me. Back then I felt honored to be thought of like that, but I sometimes do let my instincts take over - especially in battle.
Thinking back to my first day, I inadvertently have to smile when the tray is opened, and from within the plume of steam, a human head appears. I remember my initial shock and then my attempt to write it off as an elaborately decorated cake. Then watching my mother teach me how to eat it since I had no mouth at the time, and my reaction at her pushing it inside her voluptuous chest.
It has really been such a long time since then.
"[You're gonna eat that?]" When Korenga sees it she asks with a frown. While she has accepted that I'm a literal omnivore, seeing me eating human body parts must be hard for her to swallow.
"[Don't worry, those are taken from the bodies of the dead. I wouldn't have live humans slaughtered for me.]" I don't know how much that appeases her consternation, but that's all I can say. The fact that I'm eating humans remains.
Taking my time and enjoying the meal, more than ten times the amount of what I had back then, I ponder my future from here on out. First on the list is to retake the entirety of the Demon Continent and beating back the invasion. Secondly, I'll negotiate with the human nations to end this age-long conflict for as long as I reign. Since I intend to live until my natural lifespan runs out - and judging by Mataku's existence, it's very long - I'll become a living contract.
After all, our common enemy is the Primordial Terror that wishes to end all life on this planet in what can only be described as a huge banquet in his honor. Maybe eventually I'll develop the same kind of hunger that he must be holding at bay constantly, but I won't let myself succumb to it and fly into the sun when that happens. As a wise person whose name I can't remember once said, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
When breakfast is concluded my entourage follows me to the meeting room in the castle tower, while the maids clean up after us. On our way there we chat about meaningless things to bridge the time. I look out the window and across Arkaim, half of which has been destroyed by fires and catapults. The rebuilding efforts are already underway, but the whole thing has put another scar on the populace. I think I'll hold a public speech later, and talk to them.
Opening the door to the meeting room, I enter first to find that everybody is already sitting and waiting.
Ophalen is reading documents while wearing a monocle - since his eyes are on the sides of his head, he can't use them both at the same time for looking at close things. His son Nilotec has his arms crossed and is sitting silently with his eyes closed. Markor is stroking his goatee while going through letters, most likely those sent here from the front lines. Athilacia is leaning back and smoking a long pipe, the snake tail that is her lower half wound around the legs of her chair.
When they see me, they all motion to stand up and greet me, but I quickly gesture for them to remain at ease. I'm not the queen yet, so they don't need to be this formal with me. In fact, even when I sit on the throne, I don't want things to be so stiff.
"Where's Chandra?" I look at the red-haired ajura woman sitting in the clan leader's place. She's missing the lower two of her left forearms, and judging by the bloody bandages, they were lost in the battle yesterday. There is no light magic among the demons, so nobody has a way to restore lost limbs, it seems. Maybe I'll add to my announcement that I'll be doing healing for the rest of the day and that everybody is welcome.
"I'm Taragasura, her deputy. The boss went to inspect the returned infantry." The amputee introduces herself with a simple nod and speaks in the typical accent of the Ajura clan members. If her wounds are causing her pain, she isn't showing it.
"Hm, what is this about?" I turn to General Ophalen.
"Lady Chandra had initially taken her army to reinforce Erbilan because the advance of the human spearhead will be headed for it." The old crocodile replies quickly. "When she received our call for aid, she took all her troops and returned to defend Arkaim, but that may have left Erbilan undefended."
"When do you think will the humans arrive?" It seems I may have to postpone my healing session and go there myself first.
"In two weeks from now, at the latest. But with the surprise attack here, they may have snuck another army past our scouts and attacked there already." Ophalen growls, and I assume he's angry that the humans are using such tricks. I can't fault them; without the support of the gods, they're generally weaker than the demons. Even if the Chosen Knights are each about as powerful as Chandra, they're still few in numbers; they can't fight and win wars on their own.
"I'll go there and take a look after this meeting is over." With this quick statement, I conclude the topic and intend to move on, but Nilotec has different plans.
"Erbilan is over six hundred leagues from Arkaim. A journey there will take even someone who can fly more than a day." He voices his concerns that I might be gone too long in a time of need.
"You haven't seen me fly yet, have you?" I give him a confident smile that silences him completely. "Now, can I have a report on the numbers of yesterday's battle?"
"Yes, the numbers..." Ophalen picks a document from the table and quickly skims it to find the right lines. When he begins reading, my mood drops. So many soldiers died, and three times as many civilians have been reported dead or missing. The numbers of the latter are most likely still going to rise during the day, as the cleanup is still underway.
I could understand any urges for revenge as I feel them myself, but there are bigger fish to fry than to avenge every death manifold; and in either case, the humans lost far more than the demons did in this siege. First, I need to kill the Old Humans, so that there won't be anything in the background pushing for war between humans and demons anymore. Then, I need to find a way to deal with Mataku.
Easier said than done. But at least I have a goal to work towards, unlike that year spent in Adanak, where I basically just enjoyed a long vacation before the campaign against the God King started.
"How many humans did we capture?" I sigh when the general concludes his report.
"Those that surrendered inside the city numbered over ten thousand, and over a thousand more were rounded up outside the walls. Many of them were wounded or playing dead." Markor is the one who answers my inquiry. He stands up and walks over to the window that leads to the western side of Arkaim, before pointing outside demonstratively. "My scouts report that a massive explosion must have taken place within the retreating army. Judging by the many heavily wounded we found, very few survived unscathed and were able to escape; otherwise, they would have tried to help them."
"What was that explosion?" Nilotec asks me in a low tone, from which I can glean awe. He must think it was my power or something.
"It was my message to the humans that breaking their word will bring them only death." I confirm it, taking credit for Aorutihaua's immense destructive power. In reality, I should be able to do something similar, although it would most likely take a while to prepare. "Speaking of prisoners, how is that dragon knight doing?"
"When she heard that her army was annihilated, she stopped talking and is only sitting in her cell silently." Athilacia takes a puff from her pipe and speaks in a manner that gives me reason to believe that she can be very sassy when the situation requires it. I'm sure she and Senka could become great friends.
"I'll pay her a visit after this." There are a lot of things for me to do today, it seems. The top priorities are to hold a speech before the citizens of Arkaim, flying to Erbilan to see whether it's in danger or not, and then to go and speak to Svanhild - in that order. Staying busy will keep me on my toes, though.
The rest of the meeting was mostly administrative stuff that I left to the clan leaders. Issues like distributing food and water, cleaning the streets and rebuilding the houses aren't things I can help with since they require manpower rather than individual powers. Instead, I'll provide moral support by addressing the citizens on the main plaza, from directly among the people.
Of course, I have to adlib it since I thought of this only a few hours ago. But I've gotten quite comfortable in my skin, so even when so many pairs of eyes are staring at me, I don't feel nervous. Seeing their doubtful but also hopeful gazes fills me with pride, to be the one who can provide them with what they need in this dark hour.
"Hear me, citizens of Arkaim, my people!" I let my voice echo across the plaza, amplified by an augmented throat. The murmurs cease completely when they hear it. "I know that the past year has been filled with trials, and each one of us has lost important friends and family."
At these words, I see many nod in agreement, others shed silent tears, while a few break down crying. I know that this was going to touch a nerve since I feel the same way; I lost my mother back then, which was the whole cause for the dominion's current situation.
"But fear no more, despair no longer, for I, Chaos - daughter of Queen Pelomyx - have returned!" Spreading my arms in a symbolic embrace, I announce. For a second, the crowd stares at me in silent awe. Then thunderous cheers roll over the plaza like an earthquake given voice.
"So this is how order dies... with thunderous applause." Senka, who is standing on the podium next to me, mutters to herself. I assume she's making a joke about my name having the opposite meaning of order, and the fact that I'm gaining power here means that order is being eliminated.
The doll girl had been missing for most of the morning after she left my room on her own, and only rejoined me after the meeting with the clan leaders was concluded. She told me that she was guiding Hestia on her path here and that she would arrive sometime in the afternoon - most likely completely exhausted from flying as fast as she can. That means I still have time to do everything I set out to do for the day before then.
In my speech, I continued to lay out my future plans of beating back the humans and retaking the lands lost to them. Obviously, I left out everything to do with Mataku and the Old Humans, though. For the civilians, those are godlike beings, and if I were to announce that I wanted to fight them, it would only make them fear for their lives. Even if I could hold my own against them, in a battle between gods the powerless are the ones who have to suffer.
Directly after concluding my public appearance and returning to the castle for a quick lunch, I immediately took off to visit Erbilan. Nilotec once again voiced his concern about my absence from the capital, but I told him that I would go alone and leave my entourage behind. He was a little more convinced by that, most likely when he realized that Korenga is among them - someone who can hold her own against Chandra.
When I ascend from the castle walls and increase my altitude, I can see the crater that Aorutihaua's impact left behind on the Fields of Huwinn in all its glory. There are demons still clearing the charred and torn apart corpses of the humans strewn across a large area. The Child of the Sun is a living natural disaster and most likely possesses destructive powers on par with any of the Old Humans. Not to speak of their mother, Areteniha; looking like a living fragment of the sun itself, she might even have the power to annihilate this entire planet at will.
It's only natural that over time more and more such powerful beings would come into existence due to the Imagination Engine, and the Old Humans most likely left Armeria because they feared a confrontation with them.
"Can you hear me Chaos Air Force One?" Senka's voice speaks directly into my head, but there is some static. I asked her to guide my flight to Erbilan since I don't know the most direct way; following the road would mean I have to slow down to keep track of it.
"Why is the connection bad, even though I'm still so close?" Replying in my mind, I look to the camps outside the city, where Chandra's troops are readying themselves to depart for their initial objective again.
"Have you lost your sense of humor?" Sounding completely clear again, Senka replies in a somewhat sour tone. She's right, I've been a little uptight recently. But the situation is quite tense; a war with nearly almighty beings is imminent, and afterward, there is still the issue with a Crawling Chaos that must have many times my mass.
"Maybe... I'm sure I'll regain it the longer I stay with you." I send her a mental cuddle, as best as I can envision it without her in my arms, and turn towards the direction of my destination. "Alright, I'm ready. Guide the way."
The second she does, I shoot off at many times the speed of sound, creating a massive sonic boom that will have shocked the entire population of Arkaim. I'm sure Nilotec, who was watching me take off, is staring at the point in the sky where I disappeared from with his crocodile jaws wide open.
The landscape under me almost instantly changes from the wasteland with the jutting sharp rock formations to a dry steppe with gentle slopes.
"Wow, you're fast." Senka comments, most likely watching everything through my eyes.
"Yeah, I'm no longer bound by wind magic and aerodynamics. It's one of the first things I mastered after I learned about the Imagination Engine." I look around while performing a barrel roll. "Before, I could only fly as fast as wind magic cast into boosters would allow. Now, I'm just flying through imagination alone. I'm sure I could go even faster, but I might overshoot my target."
Considering Areteniha seemed to be going at the speed of light, I'm sure that's what anybody with the right imagination could achieve. But if I were to travel at the speed of light on the planet, I'd make several trips around the globe in just a fraction of a second - or directly shoot out into space.
"There it is." Senka signals me that my destination is just ahead, and I come to a quick stop, before slowly approaching it. The steppe has made way for a mountain range, and blocking the exit from it is a fortress city. It looks to be about as big as Uarapo, which was destroyed in our battle against Roamukao.
It looks fine from here; no siege is underway, and demons are walking in the streets normally. Some children are playing in the streets, and I see a few people pointing up at me. I should go down there and have them spread the word of my return from here on out, too.
Quickly descending and landing in the courtyard before the central keep, I look around. Demon soldiers, the majority of them lizardmen, instantly swarm me from all sides and point their spears and halberds at me. I should have expected such a reaction, considering I look quite human - even if I just flew without wings and all.
"Intruder!" One of the archers on the wall shouts and points at me, calling more reinforcements for little ol' me.
"Who are you?!" A massive lizardman similar in size to Ophalen comes forward and asks me with a loud bellow. He has matte black scales and a rounded head unlike a crocodile's, with the neck of a bull and a powerfully built body. His inquisitive black eyes stare at me with suspicion. In his clawed right hand, he's wielding a large halberd, which he points at me.
"Of course the news wouldn't travel here so quickly." I shrug and speak to Senka, who already commented that my actions just now were quite thoughtless and rash. Then I turn my attention to the demons surrounding me. "Will this help?"
I transform into an appearance similar to that of my mother's. Long purple hair, curved horns protruding from my forehead, gray skin and yellows irises surrounded by black sclera. I even copy her clothes, but leave my body shape alone; I don't have her bountiful breasts, but I'm not trying to pass as her anyway.
"The queen?" One of the demons mutters in shock and lowers his spear.
"It's obviously a trick!" The big lizardman growls. "Don't let your guard down."
"I'm Chaos, child of Pelomyx. I have come to let you know that Arkaim came under a human surprise attack." Raising my voice, I let everyone in the courtyard and beyond hear me. "I have vanquished the enemy and liberated the capital, so I came to see if Erbilan was still standing."
More and more demon soldiers falter under my words, and many begin to believe that I'm the real deal. Only the commander isn't that easy to convince.
"You don't believe her, do you?" He turns to look at his subordinates with unbelieving anger. I feel that I should praise him for not trusting something a random stranger who can seemingly transform into anybody is saying.
"What's your name?" With the regal bearing I learned from watching Aurelia, I ask the lizardman commander.
"Rhosk, Commander of the Erbilan garrison!" He proudly announces himself by beating his chest with his free hand. "And who are you really?"
"Very good, Rhosk. I hope you will continue to question future intruders like this." Leaving him speechless with this praise, I rise back up into the air without answering his repeated question about my identity. "Chandra's troops will arrive here in five days and reinforce this city against the human spearhead. Make sure to keep the city well defended until then, should the enemy attack."
With this, I quickly shoot upward and fly away. Since it didn't take me that long to come here, I'll fly ahead and see where the human army could be. I'm sure Zenlith must have intervened directly and told the empire's high command about the big loss at Arkaim. They will most likely consolidate their forces and go for a final confrontation or scatter across the continent to take as many cities and villages as they can.
The former would be quite welcome since I'd be able to take care of it all in one go. The latter would be the hardest thing for me to deal with; after all, I'm only one person. Even if I can fly around at such high speeds, I can't be everywhere at once. Maybe I should just find the human spearhead and annihilate them in one big blast.
"[Aorutihaua, are you there?]" I call out into the sky but receive no answer. They haven't shown up all day, though I suspected that they would be somewhere near. Maybe they finally returned to their mother's side?
"[I'm not the Child of the Sun, but are you alright with me?]" Suddenly, a voice speaks behind me. At this point, I've gotten used to it and turn around without being too surprised. It's Aratio, the God of Whirlwinds.
"[Well, if you have the destructive power of a meteor...]" Knowing full well that she doesn't. But if she can turn into a tornado, it could be quite devastating, too.
"[Hm, do you need me to destroy a huge army like Aorutihaua did yesterday?]" Asking me while flying upside down, Aratio fixes her silver eyes on me. Only now do I notice that they possess a sheen similar to Tahiri's rainbow irises. Like mother like child, huh? "[I can do that if you play with me~]"
"[Sorry, but that will have to wait.]" I put a hand on the goddess' cheek, as she pouts like a child at my repeated rejection of her advances. "[I have to return to the castle.]"
Senka just told me that Hestia has arrived.
