As if the people of the ratmen village were waking up from a wretched nightmare, the beings of terror who had effortlessly slaughtered 500 men, created a vortex such that the very atmosphere itself was erased, and then created balls of fire the size of buildings before sending them forth to destroy the city disappeared from the sight of all in the arena.
However, there was one thing which remained that told these people that what they had experienced was no nightmare- and if it was, that they had not awakened from it.
The enormous ball of fire in the sky seemed to illuminate the world itself, burning the eyes of the people- proving to them that even though the demons were gone, the results remained.
'We..... can't fight that.....'
'This is the power of a demon.....'
'Slaves.... we've been reduced to slaves.... there is no choice.... it is either to become a slave or to die.....'
'That's right.... it's just as that angel said.... we cannot risk our lives trying to figure out just how much we're being ripped off.... because our lives are worth more than anything.....'
The people of the village had given into their fears, accepting that submission was the only option.
People who once fought in the streets as mafia lords now bowed before their new Dictator, and those underneath them were filled with an absolute awe and terror far greater than anything they had ever experienced.
'What do we even do now?'
'There is nothing left.... the factories.... they're likely gone....'
'Destroyed by the demons....'
'Even if we submit.... will there be anything left? Will we all just die on the streets, spending the last bit of energy we have to serve these tyrants?'
The people were worried.
Under the assumption that the factories had been destroyed, their city was now on a path to destruction.
Everyone in the city would starve to death, and nobody would be able to so much as complain or rebel.
'Why..... why do these cruel beings of chaos have to exist?'
'Why did they have to come here??'
'Why couldn't they have just left things as they were??'
----
Claire found herself walking down the hallways of the arena before Garett contacted her.
[Hey. We've gone ahead and terrorized the people, destroyed their only lifeline, and replaced it with a better one. There were previously 9 factories in this city that were used to produce the food, however I've given them a little upgrade so there isn't a need for so many. The largest one in the center instead has been converted into a palace. This will be your new home. We'll rule from the slime village, and you'll take up residence here.]
"Ah, thank you! You all are so reliable. I'll do my best!", Claire replied.
[If any problems arise then don't hesitate to ask us for assistance, however according to my simulations you shouldn't have any issues for a few days. Just do what you need to do and grasp this city within your hand. However, should a hero arise from the shadows in order to challenge you, ensure to let us know.], Trevor added on.
"I'll do so."
The call ended and Claire hastened her pace.
'They sent me the coordinates of the palace that they want me to rule from.... I suppose I should have the leaders meet me there for now before I do anything else...'
And with that, Claire headed off.
----
On filing out of the arena, the people of the ratmen village were scared to even leave.
Many were too scared to take a look at the factories and confirm with their own two eyes that their livelihood had been destroyed.
Even so, there was nothing more to do. The people eventually left the arena and spread throughout the city, depressed.
However, such depression was temporary.
"Wha-!?"
"What is this!?!?!?!"
"These factories..... they're.... completely different!!"
Replaced by the bronze sputtering gas guzzlers were refined aluminum facilities with not a single pipe for exhaust or waste.
The facilities shined, brand new. Upon entering the people saw that mechanical functions were managing the production, almost completely automated.
Labor was barely necessary anymore. The efficiency of these factories had gone up by a hundred fold. Brand new machinery lined the walls, and the mostly automated factories would now only need a few people to produce the same yield as what hundreds of people would need to be working for previously.
"This is....."
"It's a miracle...."
"It's a miracle!!!!!!"
All over the city, cheers and laughter could be heard in all eight factories as they were one by one discovered by the people who had returned.
"Those demons may have destroyed our factories, but clearly there is some savior out there who's power exceeds them!!!"
"That must be it!!! Those demons must have been vanquished by that hidden savior!!! And they provided us with these brand new facilities without so much as saying a word!!!"
"What a true hero this person must be!!! To not even take the credit for their own actions....."
The people of the ratmen village were excited and filled with hope.
"But.... does that mean that this savior will truly defeat that demon who has taken over the city?"
"I.... I don't know...."
"No!! We have to trust in them, whoever they are!!! Perhaps they are in the middle of fighting right now!!!!"
"You're right!!! Even if those demons have power beyond imagination, surely that means there must also be some hero with power beyond imagination, right??"
"Of course!!!"
Filled with a false hope, the people of the city could not help but to become delusional, believing that some phantom savior existed to save them from their plight.
However, word soon began to spread that the Determined had taken her throne in the central factory- the largest of the nine, and with the former mafia leaders as her subordinates, she begun her rule over the city.
Many hopeful people bursted into the doors of the Dictator, desperately clinging onto the idea that a savior had arisen- only to be shot down by the sight before them.
The Determined- despite being in a full angelic form- sat in a dominating position with the three former mafia leaders bowing before her, and hundreds of men standing guard all around her throne.
"Demon!!! Your days are limited!!! A savior has arisen and replaced the factories which were destroyed by your subordinates!!! Surely the time will come when this hero will face you head on and remove you from your heinous rule!!!!"
The angel merely sat up thinning her eyes and lightly grinning.
The demonic aura covering her left shoulder seemed to bubble up, as if her very person was being effected by evil.
"A savior? Please. Stop clinging to such fantasies. The only one who can save you from your impudence is myself. And I am no savior."
----
'It's become a lot easier for me to influence you recently, Claire. Have I made too much of an impact?', Clarice jested.
'No.... that's not it.... I just can't help but appreciate the methods that the antiheroes have been using to take people over.... I was going about this all wrong.... a hero.... shouldn't want to be praised or loved. A hero shouldn't say nice things and pretend like everything is going to be alright when it won't be. A true hero.... no, a true saint will be hated by the very people they save. And that's fine.'
'Oh? Interesting.'
The people ran off in fear of retribution after Claire gave them an overconfident glare.
'Was that all they came here to say? I suppose this was within Theo's plans? For the people to attribute the new factories to some unknown savior, that is. Well, either way...'
"Should we go and hunt down those impudent fools, your eminence?"
The one who asked this was Tiffany, as she bowed before Claire who sat regally upon her new throne.
"No need. They will come around soon enough. However if they become violent, then I am sure you understand my own policy on violence."
"Violence and conflict are not to be tolerated, and all offenders are to be executed.", Ramrod stated.
Claire sweetly smiled.
"Yep! This law isn't supposed to be fighting fire with fire. It's supposed to prevent anyone from using violence in the first place. In the Capital, not a single person would ever consider anything aside from working hard for our sake, so it's a bit of a challenge to take over a city of people who aren't like that.... even so, once these rumors of a savior dispel I'm sure everyone will come around to that way of thinking."
'Claire, you wanna know why they allowed these rumors of a savior to spread instead of claiming that they were the ones who rebuilt the factories?'
'Hm? Why is that?'
'It's so people can fall further into despair once they realize that there is no hero to save them. Heh heh heh....'
'That's horrible.... but it will work.'
'Right?'
Standing up, Claire walked down the aisle of the throne room.
"To what location are you proceeding, your eminence?", Fina asked with a robotic voice.
"My office. I need a desk to get any work done, you know. I have quite a bit of experience managing a city.... and there's a whole lot of paperwork to be done. You three. Follow me. The rest of you all, patrol the city. If there are any people who dare to break the laws of this city, then you are permitted to act."
"Yes, your eminence!!!"
And with that, hundreds of mafia soldiers filed out into the streets. Members of all races and factions were now united under a single Dictator.
"Hmm.... I could use a coffee.... do they have something like that here? Probably not. I suppose I'll have to make some plans for it to be grown locally then."
"Caw fee? What is that, your eminence?", Ramrod asked.
Claire looked back and smiled.
"It's a drink! A hot drink that gives you lots of energy when you wake up in the morning. Even if it doesn't exist in this world, I'll bring it here!!"
----
Walking through the streets of the slime village, surrounded by walls made of flesh and bones, the antiheroes made their way to the alchemy hut- which was currently being managed by Iotar and Gotek.
"Will everything really be fine in the ratmen city? I mean, we really just sorta left all the work to the Determined and then popped in at the last moment, riled things up, and left.", Samantha asked, worried.
Trevor pushed up his glasses with a smile.
"There is absolutely no need to worry. The Determined.... she is something else. Her growth is outstanding. Far beyond prediction. Ever since this demonic side of her manifested, she has only grown as a leader. Even sending her to the ratmen village I was slightly worried about how she would do things, but she has clearly learned a thing or two ever since she went there- and by that I don't just mean that demonic side of her. They're beginning to work as a wonderful combo instead of an internally feuding duo. Even with our minimal involvement, just the seeds alone which we have planted will bear fruit soon enough. And I am sure she will be there to witness such fruit."
"You're referring to the prospect of someone who rebuilt the factories, right?", Garett asked with a chuckle.
"Of course. This will prove problematic to the Determined at first, but that too is all part of the plan. She needs to be able to control a city of people who are against her, and in due time as they realize that no hero will come to save them, they will instead look to her as their only option. Who knows? A false savior may even appear which they will unite under. Now that would be a fruitful development."
The four nodded as they walked.
As they arrived at the alchemist shop, they caught Iotar and Gotek hard at work.
"Your excellencies, to be visited by you so often truly is a blessing. Is there something in particular you came here for?", Iotar asked.
"Nah, just checking up on the inventory. Do you have the documents prepared?"
"I have them right here, your excellency!"
From the closet, Gotek exited with some documents in his hands, giving them over to Garett who glazed his demonic eyes over them.
"Perfect. Let's see here..... if I calculate the relative equivalent exchange value for these ingredients and then determine how much overall value we have collected.... then use that to figure out the relative strength of a given potion I could produce is..."
Garett quickly ran a calculation in his head.
"Not bad. If we were to use all the materials here, we could raise a single stat by roughly seven tiers. If we used all this to create a potion such that all stats were raised, the user would be heightened by three tiers. However, I'd like to do more than just this. Focus efforts on collecting more rare ingredients for now."
"Understood, your excellency."
With this, the four left and headed back to the palace- the heart and brain of the Dictatorship.
"The fishmen are doing exceptionally well and we've begun the transport of salt around the cities of the dictatorship. The highways have proven quite useful, and carriages are being produced as well to facilitate such transport. While we could do this ourselves, we cannot allow our people to become reliant on our abilities.", Trevor noted. "Furthermore, the lizardmen are proving an excellent labor force. Production in all cities is at an all time high."
"That's great and all but when are we gonna get to eat?", Ashley asked, killing the intelligent mood.
"Hmm.... I suppose we did bring back all that meat. Then, why don't we head over to the basement and have Bella cook something up for us right now?"
"Sounds good.", Samantha agreed. "I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually kinda interested to see what rat tastes like."
"If we were back on earth then I'm certain that most people would be horrified at such a statement.", Trevor joked.
The two laughed together as they headed back to the palace, where they entered to see a door which had been padlocked with numerous chains to the point of excessive suspicion.
With the flick of a spiritual finger, the entanglement of locks fell off the door and it swung open on it's own.
As the four entered the dungeon, darkness seemed to envelop the area.
"Bella.... we've come with some more meat for you to cook....."
"Your excellencies.... how wonderful.... you've brought me and my family even more livestock to work with??"
The braided girl walked over to the entrance, her children by her side with light smiles on their faces. They no longer had expressions of fear.
"Mama.... are we going to do more cooking together?"
"Dad, are you excited to do some more cooking?"
"Of course I am, my beautiful sons..... Faux.... Durst...."
Behind Bella, Klyde greeted the antiheroes with a smile.
"Thank you graciously for the work, your excellencies."
Ashley opened a portal up from her inventory, dumping out all the meat onto the ground.
"Make sure to wash it real good before you serve it.", she snickered.
"Of course, your excellency.... I ain't about to go halfway on the cooking of a meal, after all!!! Won't you all sit down for a while and wait while I do the cooking!! Please boys, why don't you go and fetch them some drinks!!!"
"Yes mama!!"
Klyde walked over and pulled out the chairs, inviting the antiheroes to have a seat.
"Please, have a seat your excellencies."
The four made their way over to the candle lit table, and waited patiently as the children served them drinks and Bella began to prepare the meat.
"This livestock has already been so nicely butchered.... was it y'all who did this?"
"It was me.", Garett responded.
"How skilled you are, your excellency. I hope that my sons will one day become as skilled with a knife as you are. Isn't that right, boys?"
"Of course, mama!"
"Mhm!"
"Now then.... Klyde, why don't you light up the fire?"
----
Calerius, under the orders of the recently inaugurated Emperor, Percius V, was currently marching to the wall as the Legion Commander of the 5th Legion of the Vythguard Empire.
10,000 legionnaires marched under his command, heading from their former post to the far west of the Empire- the wall.
Calerius was not a man to get himself involved in politics.
He had great respect for Percius IV, but even more so than the man himself, he respected the position of Emperor.
Calerius was a man of order.
He believed that the most important thing in life was order.
Order in ones country through obedience to the leader.
Order in the city through the obedience of the Senator, the city guard, and those in positions of power.
And finally, order in the family through the obedience of the head of the household- the father.
Calerius was a man who despised disorder.
He could not stand those who ventured off on their own in search of adventure without any true goal or purpose- specifically the mercenaries.
Calerius had great respect for the purpose of the mercenary system, as established by Percius IV, however he did not respect mercenaries on an individual basis- for these people who were not under the orders of anyone. Rather, they themselves created disorder within the system.
Calerius was a military man through and through.
When he was first introduced to the military, he saw a light in the system.
The chain of command with a perfect hierarchy, an exact purpose and reason, and an order.
And so, Calerius spent his days obedient to his superiors, always fighting for the sake of order.
Through this, he worked his way through the rankings to become a Legion Commander.
And yet, right now the Empire was in a state of disorder.
The Emperor had been slaughtered. The monsters were becoming restless. The young Emperor had taken the throne, and war with the Kingdom was almost set in stone.
Calerius respected the position of the Emperor, and believed that disobeying his orders would go against his own tenants, so he vowed himself to serve the new Emperor just as loyally as he had served Percius IV.
However, Calerius felt that he had a greater duty to perform now than ever before- and that was to restore order to the Empire.
By being stationed at the walls, and likely eventually being ordered to invade the monster realm, he would spread the order of the Empire beyond it's borders, fighting as a warrior for the sake of his own beliefs.
And so, right now, Calerius was traveling on horseback at the front of his men.
Looking into the horizon, he saw the small figures of buildings in the distance surrounded on both sides by two steep hills which the dirt paved highway led through.
"Colonel, it appears we're approaching a town. Should we have a stop and rest there before continuing?"
"Legion Commander, I believe that would be best for the men. They are all exhausted from the travel- particularly the foot soldiers. As far as I know, the town up ahead is known as Porta. It's a small town but it should at least have the provisions for the soldiers to gather themselves and rejuvenate."
Calerius nodded.
"Very well. Spread the word throughout the unit that we will be stopping for a rest."