The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building]
Chapter 340 – Handing off the Reins

It was the realisation that we were not alone that made me take the first step. The games had to stop, the world had to be forced into an age of uniformed Peace. It wasn’t enough that humanity simply stop brawling amongst itself, humanity had to be united and its greatest power had to be controlled. Sporadic manifestation of Divinity was simply not enough for me. Divinity is a tool, I, as the God of Pride, am humanity’s glee and certainty that the tool can be wielded.

Upon searching through out ancient histories. I found glyphs, I found runes, I found books and statues. I found great structures hidden in the deep. I found razed fortresses buried in the dirt, I found shattered swords made through forging methods that I was around to witness the inventions of, yet the swords are older than me. I found a world beneath our feet. I found humanity’s ancient prayers, with Saranael, we transcribed these prayers.

And we discovered that they were not prayers but incantations. Designed to call upon the power of the Divines to fight back against enemies. And then, a dig in Epa found something akin to a history book and a manual. We couldn’t understand it at first, we tried to interpret it second, we tried to deny it third.

And fourth, we accepted the texts. We realised that there was nothing in there that was to be interpreted, there was nothing that we should to figure out. The book had no hidden meanings. It wasn’t some piece written by an intellectual or philosopher that talked about human nature: there was nothing poetic or metaphorical hidden in that book. The words in it have stuck with me since the moment I read them, as has the title: “Prepare For The Second End Times.”

 - Excerpt from Arascus’ Private Writings, Untitled, Dated to before the Great War.

At the end of the day, it was one thing to coup a country. It was another entirely to run it. Olonia stared at the papers from her advisors and sighed. It was another entirely to run a nation, that, she could be sure of. She sat in her office and looked into her glass. She knew she shouldn’t be drinking when doing something this important, but she knew that everyone in a position similar to hers did the same thing. And frankly, Divines couldn’t get drunk.

So Olonia stared at the latest issue. There was a cascade of bankruptcies coming due to the closing of businesses during the White Pantheon’s invasion. There were logistical issues on basically… well, every front but the military one. Supermarkets didn’t have trucks; the army requisitioned them, factories didn’t have trains; the army requisitioned them, depots didn’t have vans; the army requisitioned them, people didn’t have cars; those were simply not getting built. That, frankly, was the least of Olonia’s issues. At least something like that was simple, all it required was a diversion of vehicles from military function and into civilian.

At least the White Pantheon was retreating was South-Eastern Lubska. Slowly, that region of the country was coming back under government control. Olonia remembered when she had been on the front under the command of Iliyal. She had scowled back then when the elf simply abandoned cities instead of trying to hold them. The reasoning back then had been weak too. The general had said that she would understand the purpose of not fighting tooth and nail to the very last drop of blood.

Well, Olonia did now. She had been terrified at first of putting even more strain on the weak Lubskan economy. Now though, it wasn’t strain. The cities had not been looted by the army of White Pantheon Guardians and Paladins, there hadn’t been many excess deaths. Some insurrectionists had gotten executed, true, but Olonia struggled to hold that against Fortia or Maisara. They had occupied her land and they had treated it with far more respect than Olonia would ever assume an approaching army could treat it with.

So whereas that wasn’t bad, it did nothing for the fact Lubska had no economy. Olonia had tried. Olonia honestly had to admit to herself that she had tried. Yet just as she had to admit that she had tried, she had to admit that she simply could not do it. Whether it was knowledge or skill or simple lack of experience, she simply could not pretend that this issue was something she could deal with. So she didn’t even pretend to be able to deal with it.

Olonia sighed and leaned back in her office in Zawitz: Lubska’s glorious capital that was a showcase of modern architecture, all tall steel and glass skyscrapers. She blew her snow-white hair out of her eyes, then looked around at red-white carpet, the same colours as Lubska’s flag. Her eyes went to her own sabre that hung on the wall, she used a straight-sword now, but the sabre was nostalgic. And then she looked at the clock on the wall, it was almost midday, Arascus said here he would arrive at noon.

So Olonia waited, each tick of the clock was another second. Each second was another moment when she felt her beloved nation tear itself apart. She waited. She waited. She waited. And she jumped when the doorhandle opened. Instinctually, she knew it was Arascus, who else would enter her office without knocking or introducing themselves? The God of Pride entered. He was huge, easily taller than Olonia, in a pristine black uniform, with gold and red inlays at the edges and a sword on his hip. “I have come early Olonia.” Arascus said.

The Goddess of Lubska fixed her white hair and glanced at the clock. He was three minutes early. Olonia had expected him to be an hour late. Frankly, compared with what she was doing-Olonia silenced that tiny voice in her head. Now wasn’t the time to be having these thoughts. “I…” Olonia took a deep breath and bowed. “I thank you greatly.” She said. “It’s… I’m honoured you actually took the time.” Did he need this honour?

“We can cut the pleasantries Olonia.” Arascus as he looked around the office and pulled up a chair to sit in front of Olonia’s desk and look at the woman. Even when they were both sat down, the top of Olonia’s head reached Arascus’ chest. “I saw the document you sent me, that was good.” Olonia smiled at the praise. She had done it because she wanted the man to know she was being serious. Arascus brought out a small black notebook from his coat and dropped it on the table. Olonia just about managed to contain her curiosity and maintain her dignity by not lunging for it. “That’s a list of things you can do. I’ve written down a lot of paths you can take.”

“Mmh.” Olonia said, forcing herself to keep her eyes on the man’s face rather than glancing to the book. “Is there anything you’d recommend?”

“I would invest in Kirinyaa.” Arascus said. “And not just because it’s an Imperial Province. I would invest because you have farms here and you simply won’t compete with Kirinyaan resource extraction. We’re already finding huge deposits where the Jungle had been scoured. You sell them food, they sell you ore, you refine it, sell it Doschia. Doschia sells machines to Kirinyaa, everyone wins.” Arascus said lightly, but Olonia saw the issue immediately.

“Kirinyaa, as you said, is an Imperial Province. There’s tariffs and there’s a blockade.”

Arascus had a simple suggestion. “That’s not a problem if Lubska becomes an Imperial Province. I wouldn’t change anything here, you would be allowed to run the nation how you wish to. It’s your country at the end of the day.”

Olonia had thought about that already. She saw Arika bending the knee to Arascus and she saw Kirinyaa’s economic miracle. It hadn’t been a mirage like Doschia’s temporary recovery, however Arascus managed his economy, he obviously knew what he was doing. But then… Well, she felt cheap if she just signed away Lubska just like that. “I would like advisors.” Olonia said and Arascus raised an eyebrow.

“Are you considering it?” He asked.

“Should I not be?”

“I’m simply surprised you are.” Arascus answered. “But if you do join, then yes, of course. You’d get the same assistants I use. Kirinyaa runs itself at this point.”

“I would like an army too.” Olonia said. Now that she was at this point, she realised how much she could actually buy from the man. Lubska’s largest expenditure was the military. Arascus already had a large standing army. If she could return more than three hundred men into the economy, that would be a benefit too. Everything simply checked out.

Arascus sniffed with humour. “That’s not an issue. You have won the war already, you should be sending the conscripts back home with only a minimal amount to Rancais. Fifty thousand or so, I’d say. The issue there is Anarchia, not the actual insurrectionists.”

“Are you working on her?”

“We’re thinking on what to do. Has Paida told you?”

“Told me what?”

Arascus sighed heavily and looked down at the table. Olonia thought she was seeing things at first, then she thought the moment would pass, but then she realised that Arascus was actually sad. “Anarchia stole Fer’s strength. She has an ability to leech power simply through being in the area. We’re working on a counter but that’s it.” Olonia sat there, for a moment, she couldn’t quite understand what the man had just told her. Fer? Crippled? But… But Fer was Fer.

“Will she be alright?” Olonia asked.

“We hope so.” Arascus said. “We hope so, and I can give no more information on. We don’t know ourselves and I’m working on something else.”

Olonia had to admit her curiosity. “Can I know what?” She felt dirty that she was asking Arascus. She wouldn’t even be offended if the man denied her.

But somehow, he did not. “I’m just waiting on Helenna to give me the green light that Allia will join the Empire.” Arascus said and Olonia raised an eyebrow.

“May I ask why?”

“Why I want Allia to join?” Arascus asked the question in a tone that said the answer didn’t even need to be humoured. Olonia shook her head, that much was obvious. The man wanted to conquer the world and he wasn’t even particularly deceitful about it. Frankly, there was something in Olonia that simply respected the ambition. It wasn’t some meagre goal or some minor triviality that the man wanted to accomplish. It wasn’t even something that would be impressive for a human, such as climbing the tallest mountain or living a long and happy life.

It was a dream to conquer and unite the whole damn world under one banner.

Was there any dream that Divines could have, if not that? “I meant why are you waiting on Helenna.” Olonia said.

“Helenna has her instructions. When Allia falls, so will Uriamel and so will Alanktyda. I’m ending the war with them too.” Olonia could just about almost believe it. She didn’t even have any reason to. Neither the Epan Coalition nor Arascus’ Empire in Arika had any fleet or ships, there was no way to strike at the kingdoms under the ocean. But the man was simply so confident in his statement that Olonia… Olonia looked up at him and Olonia didn’t believe him entirely, but she knew that she wanted to become part of that grand dream. In the same way that soldiers wanted to fight under ever-victorious Iliyal Tremali, Olonia, at least for herself, felt that every Divine should share in such a grand ambition as the God of Pride’s.

“Is that really going to happen? Three at once? How?” Arascus chuckled and shook his head.

“Two.” He said.

“You mentioned three.” Olonia said. “Unless I can’t count but I think I can.” She made her tone light. Frankly, there was something in her that was proud she was able to make jokes when Arascus was here. Last year, she doubted she would be able to even say a word to him. And now? Now she was making jokes with the man. What an improvement.

“Two and a half.” Arascus said.

“That makes even less sense.”

Arascus shook his head and raised his hand. He extended one finger. “Allia.” He extended another. “Alanktyda.” And he raised another partially. “And half of Uriamel. Two and a half.”

“Are you planning on starting a civil in there?” Olonia asked and Arascus shook his head.

“I thought you were smart Olonia.” Olonia wasn’t even particularly insulted. She could tell from the man’s tone that he didn’t mean it in any negative way, he was simply joking.

“I think I am.” She said and immediately, internally winced at the fact that somehow, the God could sound more confident and definite in his assertation that he would conquer the world compared to her professing her own intelligence. “I just would rather hear it directly than have you hint at things as if I could read your mind.”

Arascus weighed her as if the woman was asking for a challenge. Olonia wondered whether she passed the man’s inspection or not, but he did answer honestly. “Alanktyda has only blockaded Allia. I am not going to punish them for participating in a war, things like that happen and Allia isn’t Imperial land yet.” The God tapped the table. “The same cannot be said for Uriamel. They attacked the Imperial province of Kirinyaa.”

“So you plan to do what then?” Olonia asked.

Arascus shook his head. “Details like that I don’t discuss as a matter of principle. You’re not involved in the Uriamel counter-attack, so you’ll only hear about it when it happens.”

“So you will strike them back?”

The God of Pride tilted his head as he inspected Olonia again. The Goddess looked at the man on the other side of the table and felt her stomach turn. She could understood why others followed the man if he had a gaze like this, because it felt like he was seeing through her eyes and straight into her soul. Arascus sighed heavily and leaned back. “Olonia, I will say this once and once only. Between me and the White Pantheon, there is a great difference that is simply stems from mentality. It’s not something I negotiate on, it’s something I do. I call these shots, I take responsibility.”

“And what is that?” Olonia asked. Saksma wasn’t getting this scoop, was she? Nor was Paida. Agrita and Alliana? Neither of them. Olonia felt as if she was learning a secret only meant for the most major of Divines.

“The White Pantheon punishes individuals and forgives collectives. It is how they imprisoned me or Kassandora but let the many elves that served in the Legions go.” Arascus shook his head. “I forgive individuals and I punish collectives. The greatest souls are too powerful to be wasted simply because one time, long ago, they happened to disagree with me, and the collective keeps itself in line to avoid punishment.”

Olonia saw how the man was talking, she knew what he was going to say, but she needed to hear it directly. “What does that mean?”

“It means that the nation of Uriamel will be struck such a blow that the next time anyone in that land even whispers a hint of going to war against me, the citizens of Uriamel will bring me their head simply to protect themselves. It means that I will conquer Alanktyda not through a single battle, but through showing them what happens if they decide to walk alone instead of marching in line.”

Olonia sat there, and Olonia got the message. She didn’t think Arascus meant to scare her, but likewise the man was far too intelligent to not know what he was saying. Uriamel would serve as a warning to Alanktyda, but it would serve as a warning to Lubska too.

Olonia sat there under Arascus’ gaze. Whether it was through fear or through rationalization or through self-believe, that little voice in the back of the mind, the one that was usually so cynical and so negative to her, agreed with her; she made the correct decision for the good of all Lubska.

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