57. Accelerating
571 Summer. The Raja states held a sentimental place in Mercurius’s heart, it was in these distant lands that he acquired so much of his gold for starting his endeavours, it was there that the Republic was financed. Now after so much trade with these people, he stood alongside many of his God of Trade evangels on the precipice of invading it. Yerek never truly ‘invaded’ anywhere, preferring to get the people on their side rather than marching troops, but the evangels had already begun bribing the country of Uttar. The Church of Light countries had economies predicated on slavery, so it was quite easy for the Republic to free them and bribe the cities of Uto and Tolsa. 20 or something evangels to the God of Trade moved onto the next states on the list: Seema and Promden. Promden was promptly assisted by the Zhong empire determined to not let it fall. Instead war with Zhong became inevitable. Another state that had bankrolled the early days of the Republic, was now being bribed itself. The Republic spent the next few days bribing the Zhong city after Zhong city, it was a tremendous empire with enormous resources; the city of Jiang, Xiao Ru, Xiao and Biang were bribed with the slaves and freemen being a secret fifth column in the Republic’s campaigning.
The following day, Pola was bribed, Picin and Confin likewise bribed by the ever increasing number of evangels to the God of Trade. Gold from all around Yerek was spent on purchasing the freedom of people, crossbows smuggled into the hands of millions. With such a crazy turnover, at least 10 more evangels were created, who in turn hastened the process once again. Zhong attempted to send expeditionary armies but when the crucial supply base of Xiao revolted, they had to retreat.
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Two days later, Raju was bribed, Bandar and Prothu, Prothu being distinct for being the last pagan state in the Raja states to fall, now the shoe was on the other foot so to speak; the vast Raja states were frequented, statues and idols, in some places temples being constructed to the God of Trade even without a formal government take over. Raju and Pata attempted to martial armies, but a soldiers’ mutiny quickly stopped it. Events accelerated faster and faster with no way of stopping them. After only a mere week, the Raja states fell in their entirety. The Alsar confederacy had been untouched but submitted to Yerek suzerainty.
Mercurius didn’t even take part in the slow picking apart of the Zhong empire, but within two days the Emperor Dao Ci had been assassinated and civil war had erupted, allowing Yerek to slowly take over city after city. Village after village was supplied, the usual process of paradropping evangels of the God of Water and Farming took place, the administration stabilising and the Church of Light turning into a stateless organisation that had to beg for leniency. The Church of Light was allowed to exist, albeit they would never run a state again.
Mercurius spent the next four years living a peaceful life with Ethra; they had children, a son and a daughter, Mercurius would live out his days in the Republic of Yerek in Moru city, growing old, while the thing he spawned took over the world. In those moments he would remember Mardonius, the man who gave him the statue that changed everything.
“And with Mendek’s fall, the other nations fell like dominos,” Ethra whispered, “it truly is mesmerising how quickly the Republic succeeded.”
“Mardonius started the process, Utbah destroyed the Church of Light momentum, and Xeniades and Oxyartes routed Mendek in Uruq, completely reversing any kind of progress. The Republic triumphed against all obstacles, and nothing can stop it now.”