Accompanied by Degenbrecher and Margaret, Ash was strolling to the HQ of the Adeptus. The ruling body of Kazimierz that are the real knights.
"Hey, lady. I have an appointment with one Ioleta Russell. You know? The person in charge." Ash leaned on the reception table and he smiled.
"Umm, what is your name sir?" The receptionist got nervous because he was with Degenbrecher and Margaret, two grand knights. So he must be telling the truth.
"Tell her that Asmodeus Naumann is here. I'm just a small time noble in Leithanien. Margaret and Degenbrecher here talked to her earlier." He lied through his teeth and passed the charisma check.
"Certainly sir, I will call her right this instant." The receptionist called the leader of the Adeptus in her office immediately.
"Say what? Margaret Nearl and Degenbrecher?" Ioleta was of course baffled.
"Yes ma'am, they're accompanied by one Asmodeus Naumann? Ring any bells? He said that NTR knight and the black knight talked to you about a meeting?" The receptionist was confused.
"Bring them here immediately." She cut the call and sat down on her chair.
"A Duke of Leithanien? This smells like trouble. I don't like this at all." The aged woman sighed and waited patiently for their entrance in her office.
She was already having a headache because two knights of the Adeptus were found dead in the morning. Killed by the Armorless Union with their signature black steel arrows.
And the Union has been quiet, not responding to their queries at all.
After a few minutes, she saw a humongous man enter her office. Larger than even the tallest Sarkaz goliaths.
"Good morning Ioleta Russell. Well met, thanks for letting us in. I'm just a noble without even any land in Leithanien after all." Ash smiled and sat down in front of her.
'No land in Leithanien? Who is this guy kidding?' She frowned immediately. In her long life, his kind was definitely the scheming type that she doesn't really do well with at all.
"Margaret, Degenbrecher, nice to see that you're in good health." Ioleta nodded at him and Ash tapped his finger on the table in a smooth rhythm.
Already making the tension in the room rise and the grand knight of the Adeptus nervous.
"What is your purpose here today sir?" Ioleta stared at him to see any Ill intent on him.
"Hmm, that's a good question. Oh, I heard about the knights. That was just too bad." He said wistfully and Ioleta gasped.
'We haven't released the news of their deaths yet...' Her eyes dilated and began to suspect that something was really wrong.
"Thank you for your concern, it was indeed a shame." She smiled, but there is a bit of strain on her face.
"You're welcome by the way." He gave her a sweet smile and it was confirmed in her mind. He was the one that killed them.
"The audacity! Why shouldn't I arrest you here and now!?" She slammed the table and fractured it in half.
Ash just stared at her and crossed his legs. He then raised his hand and the table returned to its original state by mending its bonds together again.
"What did we do?" He blinked at her like he was clueless and the woman almost had a stroke at his well practiced politician special.
"Don't play coy... You tasked the union for their assassination!" She yelled and her anger was clear.
"Ahhh, so they got assassinated? Are you sure they weren't doing anything shady? The Armorless Union are created to assassinate rogues right? For the better of the country?" He reiterates the union's purpose.
"What do you mean?" She glared at him and he tossed her some papers.
"Ahem, that definitely didn't come from me at all. It was there when we entered the room." Ash smirked at her and she started to read it.
'They were plotting to purge the infected and blame it on KGCC?' She went wide eyed while reading and there were tons of people involved too.
And his ghost squadron are taking care of them as they spoke.
"W-where did you get this?" She really felt that something was wrong. He was a member of the Kurfürsten. It is simply impossible for him to get information that clear without inside help.
"Wouldn't you like to know? What would the people think if that goes public I wonder? The KGCC will definitely love it. Don't you think so?" He smirked and Degenbrecher shook her head.
'Madame Enciades, you're really outmatched against Ash. Damn, he is good.'
"Is that a threat?" She looked at her sword and was going to die trying to protect Kazimierz.
"No, no. It was just a what if Ioleta. You see, Degenbrecher and Margaret here are my lovers. It would be really sad if the country that the former got a good life in and the latter's home would be harmed." He started explaining.
"I would say I'm a filial person. It's my job to give Margaret a nice and clean country? Isn't that right babe?" He looked at the blonde and she snorted.
"I was fine with Paradiso, but I guess the country that my family served for generations could be nicer." Margaret shrugged.
"You want Kazimierz..." She furrowed her brows and he clapped.
"Got it in one, I do like people who catch on quick. You see, the Adeptus are kinda fine. But most of them have a stick up their asses." Ash chuckled and Degenbrecher nodded.
"They cling to tradition. Nothing wrong with that per se. Tradition, most of the time. Is something that worked and humans stuck with it. Though there's a but." He wiggled his finger at her.
"It causes stagnation, nepotism, corruption, rot." He touched the table and it slowly rotted until it turned into dust.
"Then everybody experiences a bad time." He smiled and let her think.
"You do not understand... A big change will turn Kazimierz upside down. The KGCC also has a tight grip on the country." She said bitterly and he snorted.
"Nie, nie Ioleta. The KGCC isn't the problem alone. In my opinion, they gave a lot to Kazimierz. They just got blinded by capitalism and greed. That's pretty easy to deal with. You just let it happen." He sighed in disappointment.
"I did everything I could to uphold the noble country of Kazimierz. What do you know about my own homeland?" She hissed.
"A lot apparently. Like how your oh so noble knights do not really care about your country. Only themselves and their tradition. Tell me, is that really how a knight should serve their country?" He smirked and she glared daggers at him.
"Ash, you can't anger the old woman too much. She might just croak due to high blood pressure." Degenbrecher chuckled.
"Fine, I'll just tell it like it is. You fucking suck at running the country. You could've prevented this with policies immediately like limiting their growth by binding them to the state so they won't monopolize the economy." He sighed and rolled his eyes.
"That's why I'm stepping in, I already have the Armorless Union. And the KGCC's board members that want the Adeptus gone are dropping like flies. It's that easy, why can't you do something like that?" He got annoyed.
"The Adeptus ran the country just fine before the corporations took over. You just didn't do anything to prevent it. So we kill the radicals and put someone else as the leader of the state." He shrugged and Ioleta frowned.
"You'd get rid of me? Good luck with the knights accepting you as their new leader." She was stubborn.
"Nie, that's where you're wrong again. I'll put Margaret as the head of state and Mlynar will run it. He's a pretty strict dude, just a pussy. Imagine being a salaryman for your most hated corporation." He pitied the guy.
"That's..." Ioleta was surprised and was mad that his plan would work. The Nearls are highly respected. Even more so than her, as the heroic deeds of Kirill is still praised by every knight to this day.
The silverlance pegasi would accept Mlynar as the grand Knight's proxy. He was a wandering knight that helped the rural villages of Kazimierz just because.
They are too respected by the campaigning knights. And they will uphold the honor of chivalry and knighthood without fail.
"But how about the KGCC!? They won't let this slide." She was worried about the other ruling body which has the most political power.
"Easy, we kill them off yeah? Then I just swoop in and take everything. Like they could do anything to my enterprise." He laughed.
And at the other side, Shining was already usurping and absorbing the companies that lost their heads. Literally and figuratively.
They were forging contracts left and right. Passing the corporations to Asmodeus Enterprise. It was a slaughter.
"Right about now, I probably have 50% of the KGCC at the palm of my hands... The only thing left are the ones at the top that we will expose and execute publicly. People love spectacles and guillotines!" He grinned at her.
"Y-you're insane... Margaret, Degenbrecher... How can you love this man? He's damned insane!" Ioleta broke into a cold sweat.
"Hmph, you might be right about that. But he's already got it calculated. Everything, those who have died... Deserves it, Russell." Margaret huffed.
Ash pouted at her. "I'm not insane Margaret. I'm a goddamn genius. Kazimierz is already ours, this is just all formality now." He gave her a dirty look.
"Margaret is right Ash, you are kinda insane. Nobody comes to a country and takes over it like you in just a couple of days with no one the wiser. I still love you though." She put her tongue out and he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I'm just going to punish you later. So, pretty please. Can you stand down and be a good girl? I promise I'll lead Kazimierz to greatness." He asked nicely.
"L-let me think about this." Ioleta felt a migraine coming and he sighed.
"What is it that you have to think about more woman!? We make the country great again, the knights get happy, the honest businessmen won't be put under the KGCC's thumb. All for the price of your infected and a few knights here and there." He clicked his tongue.
"So that's what you're after... Military strength and the knights of Kazimierz!" She furrowed her brows.
"Yeah, it will be an exchange program. What do you think? Of course we do this for profit woman. We aren't a charity. Some silverlance pegasi come with us out of the pureness of their hearts. And we save Kazimierz out of rot." He gestured that it will be a win win.
"Just give it up old bat, it's not like it would be a bad thing. Just shut up and let the new generation take over." Degenbrecher rolled her eyes.
"Do you promise?" She stared right into his eyes and he nodded.
"Of course, Margaret might bite my dick off if I don't anyways." He shrugged. "I will not, though I trust you'd make my country better anyways." Margaret raised a brow at him.
"So, that's it." He gave his hand for a shake and she slowly held it and they shook hands.
"Okay, that's it then. Look forward to the major Ioleta." He smirked and stood up, leaving her office with the two grand knights.
Ioleta went limp on her chair and stared at empty space. "I just sold Kazimierz to the devil... Senior Kirill, I hope this is the right choice." She closed her eyes and prayed.
__
Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.