V10: Chapter 1

V10: Chapter 1

…

The Iterants were out of the bag with our current stunt, and that led to all sorts of repercussions. Even though we gave the order for them to pull out, and worked to get them back home before pulling the trigger on the Wardens, the other factions noticed hundreds of people disappearing in their nation. A lot of them considered it hostilities, and if not for the fact that they were working on taking the Warden's capital, full-blown war would be taking place already. For now, though, it was skirmishing all along the border, a building tension between my territory coalition, and whatever 'peace' we had after the Death Lord was now gone.

Honestly, I was tempted to go silent against their accusations and statements against me. I mean, by every standard, I did put a whole lot of shapeshifting magical golems into their realms as infiltrators. Through them I got a good look at their societies, how they were doing, and basically understood what was happening there. Not to mention the potential assassination power that I had at my disposal, along with possible sabotage plots. If they didn't make accusations and statements, as well as practically start a conflict against me, they'd be idiots.

There was also the fact that most of our espionage projects were scrapped now, ranging from the disease strike on the Forgers to the major uprising while they're at each other's throats. 

That was just the cherry on top of the shit sundae.

Anyway, I'd be an idiot to just let them go spew their propaganda and idealisms unopposed.

After pretty much losing my foreign intelligence network, I had to limit the damage.

To that end, I was holding a speech.

A speech in the style of a press conference, where people could ask me questions, and understand what's happenings. More than anything, I needed to keep my citizenry ready to support me in the present in the future. From the citizenry came all my industrial, financial, and military power. I needed them on my side.

So, I took and read all the accusations and statements made by my opponents, invited delegates to listen in along with the public, and prepared my counter-argument.

Time to see how well I can debate and persuade people to my side after a literal lifetime has passed since I last did it.

I took one semester of it in college, and I hated it.

The whole affair was in an open courtyard with me on a stage. Seats for everyone arranged ahead of time with everyone invited given a free flight and pick up a week ahead of time. All delegates got settled in the nearest resort outside the city, got a few hours to travel around with guides, and seated ahead of time with their people's questions vetted. They're the only ones I had to answer, since everyone involved in my papers in my cities was all my employees.

Anyway, the first reader came up, told everyone the date, the schedule, and plainly stated what the current conference will address, and then it was my turn on stage.

More than a hundred people were seated and looking my way, while the buildings around the square were all locked up tight and secured for the day.

I opened my mouth, and thankfully my fear of not being able to say a word, didn't arise.

"Good afternoon, distinguished reporters and delegates of the Forgers, Guardians, and Merchants. Today, as said by my assistant Ayah, I will be addressing the existence of Iterants as well as the current reason for the current conflict against the Wardens. Thank you all for coming." I was tempted to just explain, but I could see how that'll go in other nations. I didn't want to push a narrative first. Instead, I wanted to continue to appear amicable and truthful. That's why I toned down the regal look for the occasion. Three-piece suit with a circlet instead of a crown, and a half-cape in red instead of a full coat. "Let's begin with four questions. I believe that many desire answers. You should've all received a number upon entry from a box filled with papers. Completely random. Number 1, please go first."

That was a lie.

It wasn't completely random, since some of the people who came in already had questions 1 through 4.

And, of course, the questions were the hard-hitting questions that we didn't allow the delegates to ask and had them 'swear' that they wouldn't around our reporters.

A hand shot up, the reporter stood up, and he was an older man with glasses and a beard. Johan Dewill from the Scholar's former Citadel. We put the question in his hands through his editor. He's a bit of a firebrand and we've been letting his articles through. He's always been against having kings and queens, saying that they're no better than everyone else, and little better than warlords.

Good person to keep around to give everyone the comfort that they can say whatever they want.

"Johan Dewill from the Stone Range Journal. My question, and the question of my office, is why the secrecy regarding the Iterants? The rest of the continent is calling them monsters that can change bodies and faces. Your majesty, why do you have them all around us? How can you place your trust them?"

An even better person to use to get questions that I want asked.

I could also see the Merchant delegate smiling in her place amongst the crowd, even as she tried to hide it behind a fan. Probably thinking along the lines of the people assigned to her having wasted time, while one of my own pounced on me.

Sorry, lady, but we've got more control over our population than you do.

Seriously, who gets into a civil war right after the Death Lord tutorial crisis? You need negative fifty happiness across the empire for that.

But back to the conference.

"Thank you for your question, Mr. Dewill. I understand your concerns. So, please allow me to tell you of the Iterants: they are one of the last of us. The last people created by the Ancients." We fabricated a story around the truth. Every great lie has a kernel of truth, so we weaved the truth throughout this lie and made it unbreakable. No, we made it something better: a story that anyone can believe in. "The last people created by the Ancients, they were born in a great machine that created them slowly and carefully across the millennia, to shepherd a new age of prosperity across the world. The Citadels are our lifelines, their efforts to provide and shelter us, while the Iterants are our protectors."

And, the best way to convince people of what I was saying was to make myself fallible.

I bowed my head to my people in apology and let the shock rumble through the crowd.

"I apologize, my dear citizens. I must admit that when I first found them years ago, I thought to use them for war. To surge across the continent as elite warriors from an ancient age, but they knew better, and I heeded their words. They wished to instead protect all their fellow peoples, and I acquiesced to their desire in hopes of convincing them to go to war for me in the future. I am afraid that succeeded."

I'll take it.

I'll take all the blame.

What are they going to do? Depose me?

You might think that I'm asking for trouble, but there's nothing around that can do that. If there's any budding movement with any true aims, it'll get crushed. There's no senate, nobility, merchant class, or even a landowning class. Morgan had opposed my plan initially, out of reflex, and told me that leaders can't afford to look weak and can't ever apologize and be earnest. Then, of course, I pointed out that only Khanrow or Riegert could capitalize on my weakness and depose me, and they didn't want to be the public face of our organization at all.

Beyond them?

There was nothing and nobody, because we've aimed for totalitarian control over the whole of society from the very start.

So, I didn't hesitate to bow my head, take the blame, and lift up the Iterants.

No one knows them, so they should be feared, my enemies say.

Therefore, I'll call them heroes and take all the blame onto myself.

I raised my head and gauged the reactions. The delegates all looked like they bit into a sour lemon. Mr. Dewill looked vindicated, the monarchial system he opposed admitted weakness, but when he looked around… his elation died.

Everyone else in the crowd was furious at him, openly glaring, because everyone else here was the average citizen in my lands.

Not a malcontent working a cushy job in an area I sent them to.

I raised my gloved hand up towards them and gained all their attention.

"My beloved citizens, please. Mr. Dewill asked for the truth, and I will not have him harmed for it. Security, please see to his safety, and forward him the rest of my answer." To his credit, he took the help the tyrant he opposed offered with a bunch of nods and no hesitation. In the coming weeks, his articles will be watched more carefully. If they don't change, his paper will get an expansion and his articles will get buried beneath dozens more pages and articles. Or, he'll get a job offer at a resort as a hotel manager or something, if his infamy gets too hot. "The Iterants are protectors who sought to understand and protect the people of the realm. They insisted that the first thing that needs to be done is to ensure the security of the land. Even now, they are vigilant, and they wish that they could've stayed in the lands that now feared them for their primary purpose was to watch and guard from the shadows… a purpose they can no longer achieve through my actions."

I didn't apologize again, since I was still talking about the same thing, but I wanted to paint the Iterants as heroes.

Repetition was key to that, but it was always important to keep the questions going forward to properly weave the narrative. The next questioner was the antithesis to Mr. Dewill. A long-term plant in a journal at the Children of the Elm's former Citadel. Human, but in Khanrow's camp, and an asset we've placed in there to keep watch over the largest press in that area. His goal was to 'interrupt' and to pursue the line of inquiry that Mr. Dewill set up.

"Your majesty, I'm with the Oak Journal. My name is Matthis, and I am second in line for questioning! Why exactly did you act against the Wardens now?" He came from where Morgan did and trained as a scribe. His cover was as an Academy refugee from all those years ago. He dressed for the part, too, and was rapidly earning glares from the regular people in the crowd for speaking. He handled the stress well. "Why use the protectors sent to us by the Ancients as assassins against a former ally?"

He played his part perfectly, and so I did my best as well.

"I am afraid that I have not been entirely truthful with you all. But when the Wardens chose to side with the Coalition, instead of with us, I felt betrayed. All that our nation gave in blood, effort, and time, and they eschewed it all for a chance to rule over the entire continent after our victory against the Death Lord. At that moment, I began to work against them." It was a lie. In regards to timeline, I was working to get the Wardens solved well before their 'betrayal.' However, that wasn't how the people saw it. All they saw when the Wardens joined up with the Coalition was our alliance being broken, trade ties ending, and visitation rights ending abruptly. There had been questions, but most of it was swept under the rug. Not solved. Not addressed. Bubbling as an undercurrent. "Then, much like us, they found a sleeping Divine Engine in the outside world. While we had the Goddess of Life, they found her opposite, the Goddess of Death. They were set to become the leaders of the Coalition, opposing our nation on near equal terms with mastery of resurrection and the antithesis of our own goddess, and so I acted. I gave the Iterants an ultimatum: help us seize the Goddess of Death, or I shall plunge the whole region into war and take the Divine Engine from their grasp. Faced with the deaths of hundreds of thousands against hundreds, they chose to save as many as they can."

Bullshit.

Speculation.

Hearsay.

Lies.

But, most importantly, I was shifting all the blame on myself and burning up my influence.

I didn't know how much that I had, nor did I know how much I got per turn, but I knew one singular fact: in-game, if you don't have any traitor champions, you can't get a game-over for having 0 influence or a deficit.

Was I banking a lot on the fact that leaders can't get deposed?

Yeah, totally.

However, again, how exactly were they going to be rid of me after I took all this blame?

There's no replacement, and if everything goes violent, all the Citadel Guardians are under my control.

The risk is still moderate, but my goal is to get the Iterants to be celebrated across my nation and not be distrusted. Avoiding their rebellion event is the top priority, and keeping them as specialized units and problem solvers, was essential. If I had to eat sand, grovel, and prostrate myself to get them accepted by people, I'll do everything in my power without a hint of hesitation.

So, once again, I bowed my head in apology towards all my people and all the foreign delegates present.

"I take full responsibility for the current crisis, for the war that has come forth, and I will resolve it to the utmost of my ability." This was the truth. It was all my fault, because I planned for it to happen, and gave the order to make it all occur. I was being responsible for a lot more than I shared. "Upon its resolution, should my people and nation desire it, I will seek capable individuals in my lands who can take my place and lead us all through the great crises looms ahead."

I had no intention of relinquishing power in the slightest, but I gave the line off to gauge everyone's reactions at the possibility of me leaving the throne after a major fuck up.

It was just an attempt to gauge how much influence I had with a lukewarm reaction meaning I had zero and enthusiasm to abdicating basically saying that I lost a lot of influence.

Yeah.

I wasn't prepared for the sudden outburst from the crowd rejecting the idea as everyone leapt from their seats and instantly started to form a mob.

Alright, look's like the influence tank is still pretty full.

I wonder if anyone's going to have the balls to ask about the Iterants now?