The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]
Chapter 322 – A Romantic Outlook

If there is one thing that I respect Arascus for is that he manages to pull out the best in people. I do not think that anyone will actually disagree with me here, I am certain that even someone so terribly antisocial such as Elassa secretly wishes to have someone like Arascus adopt her. I know that adding Arascus into my faction in the Pantheon would tip the balance in our favour immediately. The world would have never entered this spiritual malaise of stagnation that it is now rotting in.

Yet Arascus does not choose me, or any member of the White Pantheon who, at the very least, has an optimistic view on humanity. Arascus has a destructive curse about him, ultimately, I assume that he will destroy himself. The reasoning is quite simple: the Divines he allies with will eventually bring him down. I am too old to say that I have a saviour complex towards the man, yet there is a part of me that wishes she could rip him away from the Goddesses he considers daughters.

The worst one would be Malam. Irinika may be narcissistic, Anassa is delusional. Kassandora moral-less, Fer is brutal, Neneria is apathetic, Olephia is a time-bomb, Baalka is cruel yet it is Malam who is made worst by Arascus.

The God of Prides inspires all around him to succeed and become the best at what they are. Yet it is precisely that reason which should mean that Malam should be kept away from the man. The Goddess of Hatred does not need to be enabled in any way.

- Excerpt from “The New Era”, dated to roughly five centuries after the end of the Great War, written by Goddess Maisara, of Order.

“What’s that?” Malam asked as she leaned around Helenna. The Goddess of Love was pulling out a small blue packet from her coat and threw something into her mouth. That was curious, whatever it was. Far more curious and interesting than watching Paida, Saksma and Olonia be given orders to by Iliyal on how exactly to run a coup and an overthrowing of the government. It didn’t really matter what they were told, or what they thought they’d be doing.

At the end of the day, it would be Iliyal and the four elves he had been grooming into positions of leadership to actually run the coups. The Goddesses were merely the figureheads.  “You’ve never seen this?” Helenna fiddled with the small packet and pushed out something that looked like a medicinal pill. She showed it off to Malam and then threw it into her mouth.

“No.” Malam answered as she practically slithered around Helenna like a snake. It was one thing to be polite and professional in meetings, it was another entirely to try and pretend she was someone she was not in front of people she knew. Helenna had spent enough time with her at this point to know exactly what sort of style of humour Malam had and how she acted. If the woman took issue with it, she could say something.

“You seriously don’t know what this is?” Helenna asked as she held that little pill in her hand. They were stood on a hill, the midday sun above them as it lethargically crossed the sky. A series of helicopters were landing close by. Those would be the Goddesses transports, Saksma and Olonia would both be taken straight to their divisions, Paida would go for a flight to the closest airfield in order to be shipped to Rancais.

Malam honestly shook her head and Helenna passed her the medicine. Malam threw it into her mouth, tasted mint and swallowed. “That’s good.” Helenna’s hair changed to a disappointed black from the warm red it had flickered to when Malam had wrapped herself around the Goddess of Love.

“Did you just swallow that?”

Malam’s smile grew wide. “I have no trouble swallowing.” She purred. Helenna looked at the Goddess of Hatred, sighed and laughed.

“I fucking hate you.” Helenna said it so dryly that Malam knew the woman actually loved her. “That’s chewing gum.”

“Great name.” Malam said. Helenna’s rosy eyes stared at her for a moment as if she was being difficult. Malam knew that she was, but she didn’t care. Olonia’s reckless drinking had gotten her in a bad mood, that’s one thing she liked about Arascus. When she was around him, she didn’t have to care about his safety because the man was competent to fend for himself.

“You chew it you idiot.” Helenna said, pinched her lips as if into a kiss and then a huge bubble of white gum came out of it. It popped after a moment and Helenna pulled out another for Malam. “There. I’m not giving you anymore if you waste it.”

“Thanks.” Malam took the gum from Helenna’s fingers, threw it into her mouth and started chewing it. It was ridiculously cold and minty, as if she had just shoved ice onto her tongue. “I actually have a question. I assume you’ll know the answer.”

“No promises but ask away.” Helenna replied as Malam came in close to her. Helenna was extremely warm, and the Goddess of Love put her arm around the Goddess of Hatred. The wind came in a breeze past them and there was a cheer from the front line. Artillery started firing again.

“Will we have an issue with getting rid of Jozef?” Malam asked, her eyes focused on Olonia. The Goddess of Jozef’s country was smiling widely as Iliyal was telling her something and explaining something else to an elf.

“We shouldn’t.” Helenna said.

“Is that it?” Helenna said. “I’m not asking to kill time, I’m asking because it will affect my decision-making.”

“There won’t be a problem whatsoever. Jozef isn’t too popular because Olonia is the figurehead in Lubska. The frontline is here and we’ve managed to lay most of the defeats at the mismanagement of ECCLA by Coalition bureaucracy. And then, the soldiers here have seen Olonia fight by their side. Jozef is sitting the war out in Zawitz as Olonia rolls around in the mud.” Helenna finished. “Does that answer it?”

“And the fact he took over in a popular revolt won’t be an issue?”

“People have a short memory and he’s not actually changed much in the civilian sector. Even the Pantheon Tithe has not been removed like in Doschia, and instead it’s just called the War-Tax.” Helenna continued. “The plan to replace Jozef with Olonia won’t be an issue because it’s not a change in course. The Lubskans want to leave the Pantheon, but they don’t really seem to have much of an opinion as to who leads them out of Olympiada’s shadow.”

Excellent! Malam put her arm around Helenna and felt the Goddess of Love lean in. The helicopters started to create great waves of dust as they settled down on the ground. “And Artois being replaced by Paida?” Malam asked.

“This is something I had to ask you about actually.” Helenna said.

“Ask away sweetheart.”

“How much of the riots in Rancais is actually you?”

“At the start, it was all of them. Now? I’d say less than a twentieth are actually instigated by my men.” Malam answered truthfully. There was no reason to lie to Helenna.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“That’s impressive that you did all of it.” Helenna said and Malam felt her heart skip a beat. She didn’t know why she liked the praise that much. It was something small too, something tiny in fact, and she knew that she was the best. But… But it was still nice to have someone else say it. That meant the pride within Malam existed for a reason and wasn’t just delusional narcissism. “In the case that the problem is actually Anarchia, then Artois shouldn’t be a problem I don’t think. Not in the change-over at least.”

“Not in the change-over?”

“The man survived several Rancais elections and has led his party for more than a decade. Agree or disagree with his politics, the fact he managed that shows skill in itself.”

“So he’s a name we’re crossing off sooner rather than later.” Malam said and swallowed her gum now that the taste was gone. “Do you have more gum?” She asked. There was that flash of annoyance over Helenna again, but it was tinged with some level of downright disbelief. As if the Goddess of Love could not believe what exactly she was dealing with.

“I do.” Helenna said. The two Goddesses stared at each other, neither saying anything. Malam made a stupid smile, Helenna returned her own. “So?” Helenna asked.

“Well I’m not going to beg, am I?!” Malam asked and Helenna rolled her eyes.

“Only you think that asking someone for something is begging.” She said flatly.

Malam raised a finger and shook her head. “Anassa and Irinika think the same! And Kassandora doesn’t ask either! Nor does Fer!”

“Great.” Helenna said and Malam blinked. Great? What did that mean exactly? Great? Yeah! It was great, wasn’t it?

“So?” Malam asked.

“So what?” Helenna asked.

Malam’s posture shattered, her neck craned forwards, her arms fell. She couldn’t believe that Helenna was actually making her do this. “Can I have another one?” She forced the words out of her mouth.

“There we go.” Helenna replied smugly. She passed one of the gums from her pocket into Malam’s hand. Once again, cool mint. Very strong, it made her entire mouth fell cold. She could see something like this being used to cover up the smell of alcohol. Malam blinked and smiled to herself. Sometimes, she really did get genius ideas. “And don’t swallow them, spit them out.”

“Why not?” Malam asked.

“It’s not food.”

“You stick it in your mouth.” Malam said.

“Is everything you stick-“ Helenna cut herself off. “Don’t even answer that actually. I don’t want to know. You just don’t swallow them.”

“Alright.” Malam answered as they watched the Goddesses get into their respective helicopters. They had about six hours then. Malam sighed. “Wissel Ellenheim, even I know will be a problem.”

“Indeed.” Helenna said. “The man has been a king almost his entire adult life. He’s popular, he’s talented, he’s the mastermind behind Epan Separation too. So he has guts. He’s obviously not enjoying the comforts of the position.”

“That’s how we would usually eliminate a monarch.” Malam said. A shameful accident, such as poisoning the man and then claiming he had over-eaten was a good one. Spiking his drink and shutting his liver down, no plebeian would cry at. A pretentious theatre fire or a gallery of some rancid arts were good locations too. It was about the making the death so farcical people would simply roll their eyes, unable to even comprehend such a thing.

“And there’s an issue too.” Helenna said. “That I would have told you about if you weren’t so hasty and actually talked to me before meeting with the Nationals.”

“What is that?” Malam asked.

“Saksma likes, or respects at least, Wissel. I don’t think she’ll want to kill him. Frankly, I think he’ll be like Artois, he’ll want to hand power over with strings attached that he’ll be able to tug on.”

“Fortia is pulling out of Epa. It’s not father who did it, the woman has given up. I didn’t have time. It’ll be public news by tomorrow, we need to seize the chance now and re-frame her surrender as our victory instead of her broken will.”

Helenna spoke heavily as the helicopters started to lift off the ground. “That leaves us with one option then.”

Malam squeezed Helenna’s shoulder.

“Then Wissel has to go.”

“Do you have an idea as to how?”

“Do not worry your pretty little heart Helenna.” Malam cooed in a devilish tone. She knew it was annoying, but she liked being annoying. “Things like this are better to be left at the feet of the woman who enjoys such things.”

Helenna put her arm around Malam, speaking in a tone that was just as devilish. “Don’t treat me like a little girl Malam. I know what assassination is. I’m asking how.”

“Oh my Helenna you embarrass me!” Malam half-shouted. “Assassination? Never.”

“What then?”

“Wissel will simply receive a visit from one of my sisters.”

“I assume he won’t survive that visit.”

Malam loved this feeling. It was the downright mischievousness that children felt when they pushed each other over, the sweet victory after tricking a parent that it was not her hand that had taken cookies from the jar. She could practically feel her legs quiver at the sensation of a plan coming together, and she wouldn’t Helenna spoil the moment. “You know I like you Helenna.”

“I like you too.” Helenna replied. “You’re not the worst, I’ll be honest.”

“But there is one thing that is annoying about you, that I didn’t actually expect.”

“Oh?” Now the Goddess of Love sounded as if she was genuinely surprised. “What is that?”

“You’re too direct.”

“I’m too direct?”

“I don’t call it assassination when I’m enjoying myself, I call it dance. It’s not murder, it’s re-organization. It’s not planting bombs, it’s gift-giving. Poison or flavouring? Do you see the difference?” And Helenna laughed in answer.

“I have a word for that.”

“Do you?”

“Romance.”

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