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and
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Raiden stood at the edge of a grand balcony overlooking the city of Bialya, as castle that once belonged to a Tyrant, now was his, as he stared at What had once been a war torn ruin had, because of him, it transformed into a modern wonder, with modern buildings and bustling streets-a testament to his capability. Yet, none of that brought him peace. His hand was tightening into the railing about to crush it, frustration bubbling inside him, While Bialya was in peace, his new territories had faced certain problems
Soft footsteps approached. Merlin strolled up behind him, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. "My, my. If you grip that railing any tighter, you might just take the whole balcony down with you." His tone was light, teasing, but as always, there was wisdom beneath it. "The people practically revere you as a god, Raiden," he added, his voice now softened with a note of caution. "And yet, even gods face rebellion."
Raiden's frustration was shown as he spoke. "I'm not a god, Merlin. I am a guy trying to fix this goddamn mess!
The world is falling to pieces, and every time I try to fix one thing, another falls through the cracks. It's just like trying to play a rigged game"
Merlin joined him in the balcony, leaning casually against the railing, as though the fate of the world was just a casual topic. "Ah, yes, the classic 'rigged game' of world domination." He gave a melodramatic sigh. "But you know, you've accomplished in weeks what most leaders could only dream of in a lifetime. You fixed Bialya….turned it from rubble into a beacon of hope. But ruling, my dear Raiden, that's the real game. And that's when things get Interesting!."
Raiden turned to face Merlin as he said "I didn't sign up to babysit a bunch of power-hungry idiots who can't see past their own noses. Every time I take a step forward, they're pulling me back because they're scared of losing their little slice of control."
Merlin chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Oh, they should be scared! But that's exactly why they resist you" He leaned in, his voice becoming wiser "Fear is a powerful motivator, Raiden, but it's also a double-edged sword. Keep ruling with an iron fist, and they'll fight even harder. You can't just muscle your way through every problem."
Raiden gave a frustrated laugh and turned away to walk inside "What the hell am I supposed to do, huh? Play nice? Beg for their approval? I'm not some politician shaking hands and kissing babies on TV!
I'm doing what needs to be done-because no one else will! These Idiots, Fucking Mongrols! Don't realize the amount of threat Earth faces, Any time now, Soon, The war will begin!"
Merlin's eyes narrowed, though his playful tone remained. "I'm not suggesting you beg for their approval. That's way too boring." He grinned. "But if you make them see why they need you? Why the world needs you? Then they'll stop fighting you and start fighting for you."
Before Raiden could respond, Scáthach entered the balcony her face unreadable, as always. "Raiden," she said in a voice as tranquil and cold, "there are reports of unrest. Small factions are growing both in South America and Eastern Europe"
Raiden rolled his eyes, irritation dripping from every movement. "See What I'm talking about Merlin? Every God damn time. It's like they cannot help themselves." He turned back to Scáthach. "Let me guess, some idiot thinks he can be a hero and 'save' his people from me?"
Scáthach nodded slightly. "It's small at the moment, but it'll snowball if left unchecked"
Raiden's fists clenched. "I'm done playing nice. I'll wipe them all out!"
Before he could take another step, Merlin raised a finger, wagging it with mock disapproval. "Ah, ah, ah! That's exactly what they're hoping for." He tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If you come crashing down like a hammer, they get to paint you as the big bad tyrant. And then? They rally even more people against you. So predictable….."
Raiden's eyes flashed with frustration. "What am I supposed to do, Merlin? Let them run wild? You think I'm gonna sit here and watch everything I'm trying to build, burn because some idiots want to play revolutionary?"
Merlin laughed, light and breezy. "Oh, perish the thought! Of course not. But you don't have to swing your sword at every problem, you know." He tapped his staff lightly on the ground, sparks of magic flowers flickering playfully as they showed images of people "You've got allies. Scáthach, Arthur, Diana, Dick, and many more! they're more than capable of handling these little rebellions without you stomping around like a thunderstorm."
Raiden's hand passed through his hair as he said as he spoke in frustration "I know that! But every time I take a step back, something goes wrong. You think I don't want to delegate? You think I enjoy this?"
Merlin's voice softened, though the playfulness lingered. "I know, I know. It's tough being the boss. But leading isn't about doing everything yourself. It's about knowing when to step in and when to trust others." He winked. "Besides, if you do everything, where's the fun in that?"
Adding to Merlin, Scáthach said "Let me deal with them, Raiden. I can handle these challenges swiftly and without mercy. If you step in every time, they'll never respect the new order. But if I do it, they'll know you have forces beyond their imagination."
Raiden sighed "Fine. Send a message to those rebels. Tell them they have one chance to back down. If they refuse." He glanced over at Scáthach, his voice hardening. "Crush them. But make sure to get intel on them, I don't see how me fixing their countries let them to a rebellion….Something is suspicious here"
….
The night was dark in the rebel camp, as Scáthach moved through the shadows analyzing their movements, spear ready in her hand…Her conclusion?
Disorganized
None of them even realized that silent predator was in their midst, the so-called "rebels" did not stand a chance…..
One by one, they went down, silently. Scáthach was taking them out with precision lethal strikes that left no sound, In minutes, the camp was thrown into disarray, with the few remaining insurgents scrambling in panic as they started to realize they're members are disappearing, The survivors barely knew what hit them.
When the dust settled, only a few remained breathing. Scáthach was over one such man, turned to flee, now tied and bound, shaking at her feet. She fell to one knee beside him, the point of her spear pressed against his neck.
"Who sent you?" she asked, Her voice cold, One lie equals Death
The man shook his head violently tears falling from his eys "I don't know! I swear….I was just hired!!"
Scáthach's grip on the spear tightened, pressing the spear on his neck, drawing blood, she asked. "Hired by who?"
"I-I don't know their names! It was just a job, okay? Some high…paying clients! They gave us the gear, the orders. Said it was an easy gig….stir things up, make it look like a rebellion. That's all I know! I swear Please! Please! "
Scáthach leaned in "You expect me to believe that you don't know who you're working for?" The man swallowed hard as panic flashed across his eyes. "I swear, lady! We're mercs, alright? Hired guns! We don't ask questions….just follow orders. We didn't care who it was as long as we got paid!"
Scáthach watched him for several moments, weighing the truth in his words. He was shaking, terrified, crying and it was clear he didn't know the whole story. But she did. Mercenaries didn't start revolutions….they were blades, not hands.
"Whomever hired you, they never intended to let you walk away from this," she said icily. "You were always disposable."
The man's eyes suddenly went wide with realization. "No—no, please! I—
Scáthach raised her hand. "I'm done with you."
In one swift strike, she slit his throat, Standing, she scanned the camp as she started to analyze the situation
She looked around at the gear the mercenaries had been using…high-end, military-grade stuff. It was decidedly too much tech for a ragtag group of rebels. Someone with resources had supplied them, someone with a vested interest in destabilizing Raiden's rule.
"Russia or China…Could even be both" She didn't have the proof yet, but she had enough to suspect them. They couldn't manipulate the people, after all who would start a revolution against someone who brought peace, order and happiness to his country? So Instead, They hired Mercenaries
Scáthach Mentally sent a message to Raiden "I've neutralized the threat," she said calmly. "Just as you suspected….Something is suspicious here"
….
Raiden stormed across the chamber, his fists clenched as anger burned in his chest. The thought of Russia or China stirring up rebellion under his nose made his blood boil. He turned sharply to Merlin, his voice sharp and unyielding.
"I promised I'd handle them myself, I gave the warning, they didn't listen! I will crush them"
Merlin, leaning back casually in his chair with an amused smile, twirled his staff lazily. "Ah, Raiden, always so quick to jump into the fire. Have you ever considered that not every problem needs to be solved by smashing it with a giant hammer?"
Raiden shot him a glare. "This isn't the time for your jokes! Merlin! What Kind of a king allows another nation to stir trouble in his territory and stays silent! They're Idiots who want War, abd I will give it to them!"
Merlin chuckled softly, seemingly ammused by Raiden's anger. "Of course they are Idiots! But if you go rushing off to crush them, well, you'll give them exactly what they want….a reason to paint you as the big bad villain in their story. And then, poof! World War III right at your doorstep." He flicked his fingers in the air as if to mimic an explosion, his grin widening.
Raiden's eyes narrowed. "So what, you want me to sit back and watch while they keep spreading rebellion?"
Merlin sighed dramatically and stood up, strolling toward Raiden like he had all the time in the world. "What I'm saying, dear Raiden, is that you've already proven yourself. You fixed Bialya, didn't you? Made it an example for the rest of the world. Why not keep doing that? Keep building, keep fixing. Show the people you're on their side. Let China and Russia play their games in the shadows."
Raiden slammed his fist on the table,. "I can't let this slide! I know what they're up to."
"And yet, you have no evidence," Merlin replied lightly, his tone almost sing-song. "No proof, just suspicions. Now, I don't know about you, but charging into a war without evidence is a bit… rash, don't you think? What would the people think?"
Raiden clenched his teeth, his fury barely contained. "I'm not going to sit on my hands while they tear apart everything I've worked for."
Before Merlin could reply, the door creaked open, and Bruce walked in with his usual calm demeanor, eyeing Raiden with a knowing expression. "If you solve every problem with violence, it'll become a habit," Bruce said flatly, he placed some files on the table "You're letting them get to you."
Raiden whipped around, facing Bruce. "And what's your solution, Bruce? Let them keep screwing with me?"
Bruce raised an eyebrow. "No. But if you rush in swinging, you'll be playing right into their hands. You think China and Russia haven't prepared for a direct attack? They want you to react, they don't hold delusions of winning, they want to ruin your reputation, turn the people on you"
Raiden's expression relaxed, as he rolled his eyes, he knew his Charisma skill will still bail him out if the public hated him, it wasn't skill that was near reaching mind control, people will always love him
"Then what do I do? I'm not going to let them walk all over me."
Merlin stepped in, his tone softer but still playful. "Oh, Raiden, dear Raiden. Have you ever heard of patience? It's a wonderful little thing. The people….those who really matter….are on your side. They see what you're doing. They believe in you because you're fixing things. You're giving them something better."
Raiden glared, still unconvinced. "And how does that help me right now?"
Bruce leaned against the wall, arms still crossed. "If you keep fixing things like you did with Bialya, you won't need to fight them. The people will fight for you."
Merlin grinned mischievously. "Yes, yes! Exactly! You see, the beauty of this whole 'being a ruler' thing is that you don't have to fight every battle yourself. Let the people defend your cause. They already know you're not just some power-hungry tyrant. You've shown them something better. So keep doing that, and they'll rise up for you."
"So what, I just… wait?"
Bruce nodded. "You keep building. Keep leading. Let the people see that you're fixing the world. When the time comes, they'll stand by you, not the ones hiding in the shadows."
Merlin smiled warmly, though his tone was still full of mischief. "Oh, Raiden, patience is such a virtue. You've got all these lovely people behind you, ready to rally. You're not conquering them…..you're showing them a better way. And believe me, once they see that, China and Russia won't stand a chance. Their own people will choose you over them."
"Fine. I'll keep working on the people. But if they push me too far, I'm not holding back."
Merlin chuckled, twirling his staff playfully. "Of course, of course. But don't worry….when the time comes, they'll be the ones running scared. And you won't even have to lift a finger."
Bruce gave Raiden a nod of approval. "You're doing the right thing….You're listening"
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If you Like this story! Check out my other story! One Piece: Elden Lord!
and
If you wish to read more or simply support me just because ? than check out my patréon at
"https://www.patréon.com/Riadooo"
Don't forget to change "é" to "e"