Remnants of ruins appeared in the distance, near them tree trunks were tumbled down, broken branches and stumps protruded. All these broken trees were covered with purple moss, unusual for the eye of an Earthling. In places they sparkled, they were grains of crystal, gold and silver bolts. Trees were felled around the ruins in a radial direction.
As happens with a strong explosion. Apparently, an explosion occurred in ancient times at the location of the ruins.
Only from what?
From external influences?
For example, attacks from a more advanced civilization capable of overcoming protective barriers?
Or maybe it was an internal influence?
System operator error?
Sabotage?
Malfunction or negligence?
Children, women and the elderly have been to these ruins several times already, finding there various things useful for playing and in household affairs.
Warriors sometimes received from the ground or hanging on trees, various ancient swords, sabers, bows. In terms of workmanship, metal, and combat power, they were much better than their modern weapons.
Children enthusiastically collected gold and silver bolts from crossbows, then they exchanged them with the soldiers of the village for berries, meat, sometimes the soldiers just played for it with the children.
The women collected shards of crystals, they glowed at night, replacing them with torches. Elderly women went to study the old runes, from which they acquired knowledge on deepening the magic of the earth, wind, water, plants.
Dara and his army, they were completely alone.
The fat man opened his hand, strange creatures began to rise from it into the sky, there were many of them. Similar to large black dragonflies, creatures rushed upward. They were already flying over the ruins, over the field, the forest.
Which attracted the attention of the children for a short time, and then again with enthusiasm they began to collect their bolts.
Meanwhile, in the field, monsters and people decided to break the order, some to flee, others to attack the elves again.
Those no longer had a protective barrier as it seemed to people. People began to get up from their knees and from their asses, but as they took a step towards the elves, an invisible force threw some back, while others simply disappeared into thin air.
Which plunged many into shock, fear, horror. They lay down on the ground again, remaining motionless. As through the air, they saw the barely perceptible outlines of terrifying monsters with two heads and huge teeth with three purple eyes.
These monsters looked at people hungrily. Those who disappeared, they found themselves hundreds of kilometers from the forest of ruins in the steppe, surrounded by nomads who looked with great interest at their weapons and armor.
A week later, knights only in underwear with bruises under the eyes and on the body, slowly walked back to their kingdoms and empires.
With great regret, the nomads let them go home, they wanted to use them as slaves. But the shaman, their aul, ordered them not to touch them, since the unknown force that sent these barbarians could then come again for them, and then pay attention to the nomads.
Therefore, the proud nomads sighed, but released the knights.
Three years later, the ragged beggars appeared before their kings and emperors, the elite knights of the countries, but by this time the emperors and kings themselves were intimidated.
A wave of politicized violence swept the world, many states were subject to forced reconciliation. Intrigues, conspiracies, secret societies, dark guilds have lost their importance and dominant role in another world. The monopoly of the only one dark guild of shield and sword was implanted everywhere. Inside the guild itself, cruel laws reigned, any secrets and intrigues were nipped in the bud.
Many uninhabited islands in the ocean between the three continents and the last forgotten one have become inhabited. There they referred to forever - intriguers and conspirators, revolutionaries, counts, marquises, barons, knights, monks, robbers, monsters. They were given assignments to build streets, houses, ports, conduct trade.
Who refused it. They were sent to be re-educated in the forest of monsters. This was usually enough. For 1 year in the other world the economy was radically rebuilt, the rapid growth of trade began, non-humane laws were canceled.
Millions of people have learned what fear and horror are. Emperors and kings saw in real time how in ancient times the nomads executed their enemies. It was a terrifying way, they were shown everything in the pictures.
It was a disgusting and very terrible punishment. But it was such a hint, quite understandable, do not start military conflicts or ... Their will have to experience it all on the own skin. Therefore, by the end of the year, all the leaders of the countries in the other world behaved extremely cautiously.
Dara, he didn't want to intimidate everyone. Since fear is too strong, it gives rise to courage, from despair.
Who needed problems?
Therefore, Dara showed that trade is better than war. Under him, people began to live richer, no, there were poor and beggars, but the children no longer died of cold and hunger. And the old people were not thrown off the cliff and left in the forest to die from the teeth of animals, monsters and hunger.
For 1 year the situation in the world has changed. Hope appeared in the people. The children learned the craft, crafted and traded food. A continuous cycle of "enlightenment - alchemy - crafting - trade - education" has developed. There were new guilds to support children, women and the elderly. Just because
Dara did not like to see the suffering of vulnerable segments of the population. It was a good deed in the eyes of Dara himself, he was sure that it would bring him profit in the form of the fact that his deeds were in the near world.
That was his faith. What good deeds, there will be unexpected help from higher powers. He was an idealist. But with the help of al-Capone's modified statement, Dara was able to achieve what he wanted.
"With the help of strength and persuasion, you can solve all cases."
But no one thought that an army of trained golems, an extensive information network of a shield and a sword, airships hanging at a distance of 18 km from the surface of another world would keep all countries under a "cap." That is, by observation. Any conspiracy was known and the conspirator, with his army of supporters, disappeared and ended up on the island.
Whether it is the prime minister or an ordinary peasant. Robbers and bandits disappeared from the main roads. Of course they were in another world, but they did not rage so much. They simply robbed, but did not kill and did not show their other base instincts.
Whoever tried, then they found their skinned bodies, without skin, without a head, impaled on poles along the road or torn in half, as they used to do in the steppe with rapists. Not a humane, cruel, savage, barbaric method of execution, but one that inspires persistent horror! It was rarely used. Therefore, the bandits probably knew that the punishment would be immediate. It was impossible to eradicate banditry in any world, however fantastic. Poverty and poverty were the reasons for it all. Poor education, lack of culture and control.
As well as control, he could also use it as a means of illicit enrichment. And he should have had his own control, and so on ad infinitum! Everything depended, in the end, on the ideology and philosophy of the society of living beings. If being a thief, robber, embezzler would be condemned, then only a few would like to be.
And if it was silently encouraged, it would not be profitable, not fashionable to be honest. This is the path that led many societies to corruption, degradation and extinction. Since they turned out to be not competitive with other developed societies, where there was freedom and relatively honest laws protecting basic needs - private property, the right to work, the right to information, the right to freedom. It was beneficial to everyone, rich and poor.
Only some societies understood this and others did not. Those who understood, adhered to the rules, out of a possible 100% they took 40 for themselves and used them when they had power and when there was no power. And those who did not understand, did not adopt the laws, they took for themselves 95% and sometimes 99% used them when the power was.
And when the power disappeared, they took 30% of the loot and ran away forever from the empire or kingdom. They were persecuted all over the world. They could not live in peace and their end was not happy. If they respected the right to private property, then they would not have comprehended such an end. But fools don't learn! "How boring is it to explain all this to people!" Dara smiled sourly.
Such a world was during the next 200 years, no one dared to leave their territories. This era began to be called - "compulsion to peace from a maniac"! But this is a completely different story.