CHAPTER 26
LIE AND HYPOCRISY
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“A dragon minion has eaten my husband alive. I can forget it. Why did it happen to us? What did we do wrong?”
“I saw they killed my father. They ripped his gut and ate it. Why didn't Valora seal the gate? Is it true that they were corrupted by demons? They even killed our king.”
“Yes! What was going on? Why have they forsaken us?”
Hearing the gossip, a young noble approached several women in the street. Talking badly about higher-class people could bring someone to public execution. They kneeled in fear. However, Count Vardant neither reprimanded them nor got angry. He smiled. The ruler of Crocosela showed a sympathetic face, something that he rarely did to commoners.
“Condolences for your loss, ladies. I know it's hard. But Valoran was no longer what we used to know.”
”So, it was true, my lord? Valoran has been corrupted?”
“Yes. They were afraid of our population and sold their souls to demons. We have to purify their sin before they make another mistake. This is our way of respecting them.”
A politician always hid their lies with a smile and the sweetest phrase. Count Vardant almost threw up at his own hypocrisy. He was the one who released the dragon army and killed the king. And now he has agitated everyone to hate the victim. The black ink in his heart was thickening. His first experience with slenderness was as hard as the first time he killed someone. Because of his provocation, people took to the road to yell the sound of hatred.
“I can't get used to it. I still have shame. Fuck!”
Sometimes he questioned how easy it was for an expert politician to lie. They spouted nonsense and believed it themselves to be the truth. However, no matter how disgusting the fact was, there was no free lunch. He had to throw away his last thread of shame to keep his political career going. He had to be a hypocrite. Particularly to earthling fellows in the Walker Guild. Preparing a nasty plan, Vardant observed their conversation.
“Tsk! I'm broke. You know what? I ate a Bradley bread with pebble chocochips this morning. I'm going to starve.”
“Yes! We can't do shit since Crocosela was attacked. I hate politics. Why didn't they leave us alone? Why did the elves kill the king?”
“C'mon! We've helped the guards repel monsters for free. Can't they just open the portal? I wanna go home!”
It had been two months since Vardant asked Janus Mages to hide. All the walkers had been trapped in Crocosela without money or a job. He had also mandated the Walker Guild to stop its administrative activities in the name of security. Vardant was amazed at how smoothly the plan was going. He was the one who turned the fun adventure into pure nonsense. Sadly, the deaths of 98 novice walkers were also part of the plan. And today was the heyday. Vardant had enough fuel to provoke his fellow walkers.
“In the name of solidarity, we will destroy the Elven Kingdom! We have to avenge our juniors. Join the great war against Valora!”
His provocation easily gained their attention. Vardant was tasked with recruiting Walkers to fight against the elves. Capitalizing on the grudges of the casualties on the Walker side, he pasted the announcement sheet with the seal of Armin.
“Woaaa! For real?” a Walker shouted as he read announcement.
“Yes. You will get money and nobility.”
Several Walkers huddled themselves around a shocking announcement. The Armin Kingdom officially recruited walkers as part of their military force. The reward was no joke. The kingdom promised wealth, rank, and even titles of nobility and territory.
“Wow! D-rank will be a knight? That's insane!”
“I want to be a knight for my second advancement. You know what? A mage like me can be evolved to be an Elite Wizard!”
“This is a war, dude. We'll kill humans. Can you be a murderer?”
Some walkers shuddered when someone snapped them back to reality. No matter how strong they were, killing people was a bit much for Earth's civilization. They seemed hesitant to sign up. Of course, Vardant made a move to sell free titles like an experienced insurance agent.
“E-ranked walkers will become captains. You guys can lead 10 troops at once. D-rank will be a knight to lead 100 armored troops. At the same time, you guys will be given a manor equivalent to a village. Moreover, one level above, C-rank, will be directly appointed as a baronet. B-rank walkers will be barons, and A-rank walkers will be counts like me. Don't miss this chance!”
“We can kill a human, My Lord.”
“Human? They are NPCs. And you will kill the elf, though. Not a real human. What're you afraid of? Earth's law won't apply here. Join now, and get this free Zlots.”
Everyone made up their minds when Vardant showed a crate of gold coins. Their lives were so miserable that they would sell their souls for a mere copper. A gold coin for an E-ranked walker, two golds for a D-rank, and four golds for a C-ranked walker were more than generous. They didn't think twice about signing the contract Vardant had prepared.
“Duh, my level is 29. Need one more to be the D. I want to be a knight. But leveling up is really hard. Does killing people also give us experience?”
Vardant grinned. He approached the walker and answered with no sway in his tone. “You know what? Soldiers provide more EXP than monsters. And killing elves will give you tons of it. You'll level up quickly. Come on, when else will you get this chance?”
Count Vardant left the guild after changing pure Walkers into future murderers. His job went smoothly. The Crocosela's ruler strode back to his majestic castle, intending to take a break from never-ending jobs. His fatigue stacked up so much that he could throw up at anytime. However, upon seeing Duke Hart on his throne, Vardant knew that the nasty politician would never let him alone.
“Tsk! Here we go again.” He could not help himself to complain. “Is there another senseless job, My Lord?”
“No. It's time to reap what we sow. Let's go to Renouil.”
***
Valora Royal Palace
“Varg, do you remember when Sonare stole your toys? Your beloved newpew has passed away.”
An elven king sat alone at the window of his palace. His face was expressionless by a grieve in his heart. The death of King Armin III, whom he considered his grandson, was the end of the long history of the two kingdoms. He felt like it was only yesterday that he held King Armin when he was a baby.
Human life is truly short. These seven years felt like a century. King Falasa sank himself into his mind while looking up at the sky. His pendant flickered. After evaluating 140 years of his reign, he accepted that Valora was left behind. Humanity kept advancing into a realm he could not imagine anymore. The war with the Armin Kingdom was right before his nose.
“Our child will be okay, Valencia. Your sacrifice won't be in vain.” Remembering the loved one, he saw a beautiful princess from afar, giving a bitter smile at Taeriz's resemblance to her mother. “It's hurt to know another day has passed by. I will meet you soon.”
***
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Aware that the war was in front of the door, the Yggdrasil Tree became eerie quiet. Non-combatants had been evacuated to the secret place. No kid or woman seemed around, except for Taeriz. She kept rejecting a decree to run away. Estio, her nanny, felt uneasy. She had no choice but to accompany a stubborn princess who had no idea how dangerous the situation was.
“Estio.”
“....”
“Estio!”
“Ah, pardon me, Your Highness. What's going on?”
Taeriz pouted when his maid snapped back to reality. The princess had something to ask for. “What is marriage?”
“Marriage is a sacred bond under Yggdrasil, Your Highness.”
“Really?”
“Yes, Your Highness. You will live forever with the person you love.”
Following a beautiful princess, the maid toured the magnificent road on Yggdrasil's branch. The tree was so massive that it held around 22,000 elves. They stayed in huts that were carefully lined up along the branch, producing a lovely green town with a garden in every spot. Each twig became a roadway, and each branch served as the primary entrance to the palace.
The Yggdrasil Tree was truly majestic.
“Will I get married?”
“Yes, Your Highness. Perhaps to a prince from the land of Nargoth. Your beauty has been heard of on other continents.”
“Will I live forever with someone I choose?” She asked more with glittering stars in her eyes
“Yes, Your Highness. You will be a queen in the future.”
Taeriz strolled merrily down the main boulevard, not far from the palace's entrance. Despite her stunning beauty, she walked like a kid, extending her arms as her feet stepped along. She occasionally bounced up and down while singing. She was overjoyed when her father promised to bring the prince.
“Can I marry him?”
Estio frowned. She knew which man the princess was referring to. “Your Highness may be spoiled by My Prince. But he is your own brother. You cannot marry him.”
“Why? Does he love me?”
“Yes. He love you more than anything. But you can't marry him.”
“Will he stay with somebody else if he gets married?”
The maid was unable to answer. The questions were getting harder and harder. Taeriz was too clingy, to the extent that the prince chose to get exiled. And the princess was too naive to figure it out.
“Yes, Your Highness. He will stay with his future queen.”
“If I can't marry him, and he has a queen, can we sleep together like we used to?”
“You can't. Someday, you have to be apart with My Prince.”
The princess' eyes widened. Her lips waved in a tantrum. She stopped walking and shouted as loud as she could. “I won't let him marry somebody else!”
Estio felt Taeriz's seriousness about marrying her own brother. Estio didn't dare provoke her any longer. He chose to compromise on her lady's innocent thoughts. “Your Highness, you will live happily with a handsome prince out there. Nargoth Empire, Mithrima, Nevrasa—
“No! I don't want to marry anyone either! I don't care. I want Varg to feed me for the rest of my life! I want him to sing me a lullaby every night!”
The veiled maid was lost in silence. Talking with the princes took a lot of patience. Taeriz's way of thinking was stuck on being a toddler, despite her physical maturity. She didn't have any idea what marriage was. She only wanted to be with her brother ever after.
Estio smiled in bitterness. She kept wondering what kind of life the prince had on earth. The maid's beautiful face was reddened. Somehow, she recalled the day when she served as the prince's personal maid. Particularly when she helped the prince wash himself. Estio was blind. Everything she touched on the prince kept lingering on her skin. The 413-year-old maid could not forget the prince's thing, which was way too big for an elf. Even bigger than humans'.
“Estio. Seven years ago, I often saw you and my brother sleeping naked. And you made weird noises when he pinned you down. What was going on?” Suddenly, Taeriz innocently asked a question she shouldn't have.
“Please don't ask about it!”
“Why?”
“I will get cursed.”
“That's why you yelled Yggdrasil name so loud? You seemed happy, though. I wanna try that with him.”
“Nooooooo!”
***
Red Zone Official Resident
“The Indonesian Walker Association states that the Walkers have dispelled the monsters in the other world. 98 heroes have died during the subjugation. They entrusted the rest to the armed forces. The Association regrets the failure of the authorities to suppress casualties.”
A week after Portal Break, the media was bucket-mouthed while Military was in grieving. Especially the TV stations owned by the Association's leader. They twisted the tragedy to boost Walker's image and reaped a black cheque from the sacrifices of the armed forces.
“For this reason, the Association is asking for the support of people. The carcasses must not owned by the Armed forces. They don't have—
Bam!
“God-damned! They have crossed the line!” An officer frustratingly slammed the table. “Are that bitches have no shame?”
Brigadier General Jimmy didn't say a word his subordinates' rage. He remained silent at the media behavior that kept spitting on the soldier's graves, like military sacrifice was nothing. They didn't even bother to report the funeral ceremony and were rather busy brainwashing society with various hoaxes.
“Viewer, walker also fought to protect the people a week ago. But the armed forces monopolized all the carcasses we defeated. We hope for public support for justice and democracy!”
“Go fuck yourself with your democracy bullshit! Ya Allah! I will burn down the Association building!”
“Cool your head, lieutenant.” Jimmy calmly reprimanded. “Prepare a word for the press. Armed forces has been criticized. Assist me to calm down public opinion.”
“Yes, Commander!”
Because of the media, Brigadier General Jimmy had to work twice. He was not given a chance to breathe at all. His duties were increased. He was pushed left and right because he was considered incompetent by the public. No matter how calm he was, his mind was getting heavier, haunted by the possibilities if Zona didn't change.
“And make sure the repairs don't take up to a month. Use all means.”
“Yes, Commander!”
Most of the infrastructure was damaged. Some walls had been destroyed. The same goes for munition stocks and additional combat equipment. Meanwhile, the defense budget was only enough for operational costs. All dismantling facility profits had been spent on retrofitting expenses to the point where there was no money left. For the rest, Jimmy only hoped for council members' kindness, praying in his heart that his proposal would be forwarded by the Ministry of Defense. Even though he knew that they must be arguing up there. If the funds kept floating around in meetings, the next attack would end in an apocalypse.
The Red Zone didn't have time.
“General, $16,760,000 for minimal reparation of physical buildings throughout the Zone. And $278,880,000 outside the Zone.”
“Outside, what? We have to pay for that?”
“Yes, Commander. Politicians from Association side keep blaming us for civilian's infrastructure.”
“Oh, God ... they have no chill at all ...” Brigadier General Jimmy read the report with heavy eyes. The total was enough to buy four F-35 Lightning IIs. The officers remained to wait for him with stacks of papers. They were all reports of losses in the Red Zone. As well as some of the civilian losses that somehow had to be borne by the armed forces.
“And the minimum ammunition total is $46,373,000 Commander.”
“Temporary replenishment from Central Armory. I have contacted the General. Follow it up.”
“Yes, commander.”
The brigadier general smiled calmly. The cost was almost twice that of a joint training exercise. And that was only ammunition. The Red Zone lost a lot of defense equipment in just one day. Some cannons, trucks, and armored vehicles were destroyed.
“General, we just had a call from the Ministry of Infrastructure. They will cover all civilian losses from the state and local budget reserves. And the Ministry of Defense just got financial supports from Indo Ethereal Corporation and several state-owned enterprises to repair the red zone. We also received support from the United States Armed Force, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, Brazil, and several other countries. All of them went directly to the ministry of defense.”
Jimmy's smile was bright when he realized that all military forces in the world have solidarity because of one common enemy. Of course, their support was always based on interest. Indonesia had shown more spoilers about their success in crystal extraction. It was time to pick the fruits. Jimmy's smile grew wider when his phone suddenly rang, bringing a man's voice who spoke in English.
“Chief of US Army public affair, Major General John Raphael.” The person introduced himself with a firm manner, as if he were well aware that Jimmy always liked a to-the-point style. “We have arranged the meeting, Brigadier General. The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is waiting for you in Pentagon.”