Location: Velstand, Prime Minister’s Office
Time: 11:45 AM, 01/07/2108
I was scheduled to have a quick meeting with the prime minister before lunch. I can’t say I was very fond of the man, but I could appreciate how punctual he was.
I suppose I also got some enjoyment out of how little he seemed to care that I was an aberration. I imagine he found it difficult to care about the personal situation of anyone other than himself.
“Thoughts?”
He was asking me about the documents I had been reading over. It was a dossier on the woman that Oliver Oldridge had arrested.
“She will be very useful going forward.”
“You think we can use her? What are the chances she’s still in contact with Prince Eren?”
It’s hardly worth pointing out that he didn’t even consider using the word ‘trust’. The idea of using other people is all too familiar for him.
Not that I could claim to be much different.
“There’s not a chance of that. Even back in the Empire, Eren isn’t known for the loyalty of his followers.”
An understatement to say the least, but I didn’t feel like discussing internal politics with that man. Eren used simple methods to get new tools. Drugs, intimidation, blackmail. Nothing that would inspire loyalty.
“Then what would you like to do with her?”
“You’re willing to listen to my requests?”
“I’m willing to listen, at least. I’ll decide how to move forward after that.”
I almost wanted to laugh. Having gone this far, the man in front of me would listen to anything I had to say. People like him are easiest to use if you don’t hurt their pride, so I decided to pretend that I needed to convince him.
“I’ll have a fake body created, and then have an associate of mine control that corpse. We’ll stage an execution after that. Then we’ll be able to use her to spy on Eren’s followers without worry.”
“To what end? I already have more than enough evidence to arrest him and anyone working with him, as well as the martial strength to subdue him.”
Everything the prime minister just said was true, and it was something we’d already discussed. Taking any direct action against Eren would be a mistake. Killing him would be game over.
Sure, the other Free Cities and the Americans would love it, but there was no point in impressing them. The Free Cities' days were numbered. Within the next few decades they would be completely absorbed back into the Pacific Empire or the United States. That was almost guaranteed.
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It was only a matter as to how they did it. Would they return as allies or conquered territories?
Fortunately, the prime minister of Velstand understood this well. I’ll admit, Eren did a good job in picking his first target. If I wouldn’t have contacted him first, I’m sure the prime minister would have quickly agreed to whatever Eren was planning.
“This isn’t about publicly beating him. We need to corner Eren enough to make him throw in the towel. If we can get your senate to vote in favor of admittance into the Pacific Empire, along with Eren acknowledging my rule over this city, it will be a complete victory. No one back home, short of the Emperor, could do anything about it. I would be given control over this newly established region of the Empire.”
“And why do I need that? Without you or your brother I could have gotten Velstand admitted into the Empire.”
He knew what my answer would be, but wanted to hear me confirm it again.
“Because if you work with me, you’ll have a friendly face in charge. Not every prince and princess from the Empire is as accommodating as I am. Discrimination against freshly conquered territories is common, but you wouldn’t have to worry about that with me. I’d even be willing to appoint someone like you as governor of the region, and any other Free Cities I manage to acquire.”
That’s all he cared about, I’m sure. I honestly do believe that Velstand’s future is brighter as part of the Empire rather than remaining a Free City, but I doubt he cares about that. He’s only interested in acquiring a new title.
And going from Prime Minister of an independent state to Governor of a single region might sound like a downgrade, but that’s a simple way of looking at things. As a member of the Pacific Empire he had so much higher to potentially rise.
Velstand wasn’t enough for him. If he stuck with me, he’d eventually be in a position of control over all of the Free Cities. Well, at least that’s what he thought. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but I didn’t think he was cut out for it. Either way, I’m sure that made the idea of serving beneath me more than palatable.
“We hadn’t discussed this before, but I’d also like your help in finding a suitable wife. Preferably one with a good standing in the Empire.”
He gave me an unexpected request.
“A wife? I was expecting you to ask for assistance finding a well connected husband for your daughter, but you want to find a wife? For Oliver?”
“For him? Of course not. I need a new wife for myself.”
Ah, I see. I suppose his first wife had already passed away.
“I understand. Now were you looking for someone beautiful or someone to help you politically?”
I thought about broaching the subject in a more appropriate way, but it wasn’t worth putting on airs for him. The prime minister couldn’t care less about the common etiquette of civilized people.
“Appearance isn’t important. I’d rather have her be someone politically useful. And she needs to be young enough to have children. I still need an heir.”
“An heir? What about your daughter? Is having a son that important?”
“Gender doesn’t matter, but that girl won’t do. If I plan on creating a legacy in the Empire I can’t have my heir be a defective girl like her. I imagine you haven’t met her yet, but that child is deaf. My family line is bereft of augmentations, so I experimented on her quite a bit. The result was less than satisfactory. Despite such a troublesome stigma, her power is next to worthless. I need a healthy child.”
So that’s how it was.
I went through the rest of my meeting with the prime minister without giving him much thought.
It was annoying. I would conquer this city with his support, and I would hold true to my promises with him. Including my most recent one.
But, still, it was annoying!
I’m sure that insensitive man didn’t realize, but he just told a cast-off defective child that he plans on casting off his own defective child. No, even if he did realize, nothing would have changed.
Rather than be annoyed for his daughter's sake, I was annoyed at the situation he was putting me in.
I had to do something about it.
Why should I have to deal with these unpleasant feelings?
No, I wouldn’t. I hadn’t met her and knew next to nothing about her, but at that point I had already decided. I’d turn his daughter into someone who couldn’t be so easily written off, even if I had to get a bit forceful. I typically don’t like messing with personalities, but this was for her own good.