I look over the papers I had assembled. All twelve laws implemented on Ahorn’s suggestion. Looking through them, they certainly do appear less brilliant after the ecstasy of carrying out God’s will has disappeared into nothing…

Reduction of penalty for working extra hard in the labor camps. Does this not put those who are motivated to do bad deeds out in the public sooner?

A year’s worth of monthly payments to any low-income family that has their first child. Does this not incentivize people to have children they are not ready for?

I grasp my head. Why did this have to happen? Why did we have to learn this? Everything was so much simpler before.

And the populace. Every so often some sort of revolt pops up, but if they learned we no longer… no, never held the mandate of God, how would they react? Would it be chaos everywhere? Would everyone squabble over what was best and strangle each other when they don’t agree?

A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts.

“Enter”

A large man, geared with armor with insignia representing God’s favor appears from the door.

“Lord Prink, we have lost him completely. A week’s search and nothing has turned up.”

Uncomfortable feelings rise over me.

“What of the trackers?”

“None of their abilities are sufficient. They are either required to mark their target, or for them to travel along the ground. We have nothing.”

I muster myself to appear calm, though I am getting rightly pissed off.

“Have someone sketch him… Distribute it everywhere… Make him public enemy number one.”

It accumulates in a slight overreaction, but what is said is done. The soldier nods and disappears once again.

“What do we do from now on?” A voice appears from behind me. If I hadn’t already grown used to it, it would have startled me.

“We figure out a new way to approach things. We are entering a new era. One where we will have to rely on wit and experience rather than our faith.”

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I feel the man behind me wanting to say something, but his tongue is still. Connir has always been this way, afraid of angering me. I guess it is my fault, for that one time I overreacted a bit to an insolent question…

“Speak your mind” I order him.

“Is it… Is it really alright? Isn’t it unjust to persecute the innocent?” This fool…

“It matters little what is just at this point… What matters is that Humanity and its territory must prevail for eternity. Turns out we knew less of God’s intent than we thought, and we must strive back to the roots, the collection of oracles through the ages…”

An ugly premonition washes over me. That Yos was allegedly also sent here by God. I hope it is alright for us to scapegoat him.

“What of the rebellion in the east? Do they not know anything?”

A rise of insurrections in the eastern parts of our territory has taken place over the last couple of months. “The White Order” they call themselves, saying they are the true voices of God, carrying out God’s will… It is not good for us in the know. But if we are blind to God’s intent, so are they. They merely think they know, or deceptively use it to control the people.

Ignorant oafs! Do they know how hard it is to run a country? How much planning and logistics and information gathering goes into it all? Do they think a bunch of uneducated twats can do a better job just because they are delusional!

I quell the anger rising within me and finally answer in a calm manner.

“They do not. They are either insane or deceptive, either of which will lead to our downfall.”

I dismiss them and look back at the laws. In fact, it is not only Ahorn, but all heroes and the laws based on their suggestions that should be under scrutiny. But we will have to roll back what we find disagreeable slowly and carefully. The people can’t notice.

“Why blame Yos anyhow?” Connir asks without impudence anyhow… This idiot.

“He was surprisingly hated among the common people. Apparently he fought incredibly unfair in the circle, so he was probably a crook by nature. In addition, he and Spetus were arguably the only ones strong enough to take down a hero, but Spetus is a real crowd pleaser, and many would find it distasteful if we executed him.”

Though the entourage was arrested as accomplices, two were quickly let go. Medeor is valuable, Spetus is popular. That third guy, however, the people will have to sate their bloodlust with his execution. Though I doubt it will be adequate when I already named another as the main culprit.

“There’s also the matter of him being suspected of being a sealed evil spirit, that broke free. His date range matches that of the temple built to hold it, so I am inclined to believe it. That act of being a naïve idiot got us good…”

I still feel gravely disappointed that most of the Leader’s Guard couldn’t manage to catch a single man, but he was certainly extraordinary. Who would have thought he would fly away?

No good, back to focusing on how to deal with the fallout. I will also have to consider which officials gets to know about the true way we will decide our politics from now on, along with finding a way of controlling the next hero, when they appear.

I only wish I was younger. In my remaining ten years or so, I am not sure I will be able to lay a proper foundation that will secure our future.

Oh God, please give us a sign. Why have you forsaken us?