Chapter 317: A Controversial Alliance Part 2

Arias was seated behind his desk within his private office in the castle. In the office with him was none other than Cheshire, who sprawled carelessly across the couch, lazily holding a book in her hand. 

At this time, the doors to the office swung open as Mercy strode in with her usual stern look. She carried a stack of light brown folders, which she proceeded to drop on Arias's desk with force, emphasizing her frustration.

Arias, who was currently looking at his data pad, turned his attention to Mercy and smiled. "Well, what have our friends in the West demanded?"

The statement released by Markovia and Leviathan Inc. was just that—a statement. Rather than asking for permission to allow Arias entry he had Mercy send a statement because he knew they would send forth a set of demands that he would need to meet or follow if he came to the States. Such negotiations would normally take months to reach reasonable terms, but given the position Arias was in, he had no reason to be reasonable. With the instruction for the joint statement to be released, he had already prepared a draft agreement that was incredibly fair for both sides. However, whenever the US was involved, fairness was not to be expected as they would want to reap the most benefits, no matter how dire the situation.

This proved to be true as the entire morning was spent by Mercy and Tara constantly rejecting proposals from the US. The most stern one stated that if Markovia and Leviathan Inc. couldn't agree to the terms they were putting forth for Arias Markovich, he wouldn't be allowed entry back into the country. In response to this, Arias had already told them that he would still be coming and that they were free to arrest him, letting the war continue. This was no longer a matter of negotiation but a simple threat. If they were to arrest him, the war would continue, but it wasn't a war to begin with; it was a one-sided slaughter. The US was yet to find an answer to the weaponry they were struck with, which was saying a lot.

Knowing that he had this much power over them, Arias had absolutely no reason to be reasonable. Unlike dealing with normal people, high-ranking officials were intellectuals, many of them much smarter than Arias himself. In a battle of wits, there was no winning. 

Now that they knew he was an enemy, they were using every form of media they could to paint him as a villain, and to a great extent, it was working. Many in the modern day easily believed whatever information they were fed and took it as fact, not knowing that the very people who delivered this news were flawed individuals with their own selfish agendas.

The only possible way to circumvent this would be to own stations and other media. However, that was impossible as the owners simply wouldn't sell. For individuals that wealthy and with that much control over the events that govern the world, money was but an instrument and not something they sought out mindlessly. 

This is why Arias initiated the one event in which civilizations could fall and give birth to new eras. War. Like all wars, he who was victorious could write history as he pleased, and within a century, whatever horrid things he had done would be long forgotten, and he would be remembered as a hero and pioneer. 

Though some in the future may eventually know of these things and rebel, the majority would not so long as life was reasonably comfortable and there were enough distractions in the material world.

In a way, Arias used a similar tactic with his art academies and the refurbishing of Gotham. He had played the role of the perfect person and garnered a solid following among the people. Unfortunately, he couldn't be killed—or at least easily. However, if there was a time when assassinations would begin coming his way, it was now, and what better place to have them than in the United States, where the most people wanted to see him fall?

Regardless of how long certain families had stayed at the top, their comfort was only present due to knowing they had many of the world's most powerful militaries at their beck and call, as well as countless nuclear weapons. So long as they wanted something in the world to happen, it would happen, and whatever excuse was given would stick. 

It didn't matter what the masses said; within a few years, the younger generation would already forget. However, they no longer controlled the most powerful military, and they were no longer even in the safest country for the wealthy. That unshakable pedestal their families and organizations had been on was now shattered, replaced by the towering threat posed by Arias and the small nation of Markovia.

Before either Arias or Mercy could comment further on the documents she brought, Cheshire turned their way and let out a playful purr as she asked, "What have you got there?"

Mercy turned her head back and immediately frowned when she saw Cheshire lazing around. "Aren't you supposed to be his bodyguard? What if I was here to kill him? You don't even look ready at all."

Cheshire maintained her lazy posture and slightly shrugged. "It's pretty hard to miss your footsteps… they're so… angry," she replied in a playful manner, cracking a smirk that Mercy found deeply annoying.

Before Mercy could say anything, Arias, after only glancing at the top document, stood up from his desk and gave a nod. "Well, if everything is set, let's move on to the next phase, shall we?"