Seven villages were destroyed in one night. If I don't do something, the masses' faith in me might start wavering.
So the question is – what should I do?
Should I bring armies from other planets to stop them? That will definitely have some adverse effects, wouldn't it? So would it be worth it?
But what other choice do I have?
I could send the national armies of the two kingdoms, Kidar and Temur, to stop them. But that's something that Cartel could have easily predicted me to do. There's a big possibility that he would have taken measures to make sure that would not pose a problem.
If I do send those two armies, worst case scenario, Cartel's guys completely annihilate the armies and people lose faith in my power and judgment.
Damn it!
"Damn it!" I yell.
"Hahaha!" A distant laugh echoes in my ear.
"What do you want?" I ask the person who is laughing on my predicament.
"It's just that seeing a 'god' driven into a corner by a human is such a wonderful sight. Almost makes me think you are not a god." He, the one who is known as the Higher One, the God, scoffs at me. "Because, you know, if an actual God were dealing with this situation, there is no way Cartel Hopkins could even think of threatening them."
Tsk! He's clearly talking about himself.
"Oh yes, I am talking about myself." He says in a mocking voice. "After all, if Cartel had threatened me, I could have disarmed the bombs he'd threaten me with before he could even blink, much less trigger them. I could, in fact, kill every single person in his army before he even finishes giving his threat. That is what a real God should be capable of doing."
Tsk!
"But you are not a God, Dues. Not a real one anyway. So, you can't do anything."
"Ha!" I scoff upon hearing so. "Bold of you to think that I have been driven in a car by him!"
"Are you saying you still have a card up your sleeve?"
"Yes, I am saying so."
"Well, let me guess what it would be." He muffles his laugh as he continues. "You are going to remind Danny and Roswaisa of the threat to Glice and tell them to switch sides?"
"That – is one of the things I could do."
"Well, that wouldn't work. They have the opportunity to go rampant and make an entire planet lose faith in you. Hence, they have a threat to throw against your threat."
That's true. That IS true.
"So, what else could you be planning to do?" He asks in a wondering voice.
"Why don't you try guessing that for yourself too?" I suggest with an annoyed tone, and he gladly accepts and start pondering.
"Well, you may be planning to send in assassins after the leaders of Cartel's armies thinking that if you take out their heads, the rest with fall apart."
"And you are going to tell me that wouldn't work either?"
"Well, Cartel told you before that if he dies, others will replace him. The same applies to all the heads. None of them value their leaders so much that they would stop by his death."
"Maybe so, but they'd become weaker."
"On the contrary, they would become more chaotic if they don't have anyone to pull their leashes."
Tsk! That also makes sense.
So, at the end of the day, bringing in armies from other planets seem like the only possible solution, doesn't it?
"Nope!" Reading my mind, he completely denies.
"By the time your 'armies from other worlds', it'll already be too late."
"Frost is isn't that far from-"
"Doesn't matter how near those planets are that you can use to your advantage. After all, you can teleport armies so distance would never be the problem in the first place."
That's true. Distance from Frost shouldn't be a problem. But, if not distance, then time shouldn't be a problem either, right?
"It will be too late by the time your armies arrive there, even if they come through teleportation portals. And that's because the reports that you have gotten are wrong."
"Huh?"
"You think seven villages were destroyed in one night? Don't make me laugh!" He says. "Seven is the number Cartel let you and many of his allies see. That doesn't mean the number is seven."
What!? He has destroyed more villages in a single night.
"More villages, she wonders! Hahahahaha!!!" He laughs loudly.
"What's so funny?"
"Well," muffling his laugh, God answers, "Cartel Hopkins destroyed every single village in Frost."
"…" What the hell is he saying?!
"Bloodshed was caused in seven of them, and that is why your immediate attention went to the seven of them. But, he destroyed every other village in the whole world as well."
"How can he-"
"He didn't destroy the lives of the people living there. No." He says, with enigmatic calmness, "He destroyed their faith in you."
"…"
"The reason that it'll be too late by the time any army arrives – is because it's already too late."
*****