Chapter 257 - THE PREMONITION OF A DISASTER I (1/2)
Achens.
It is one of the earliest cities that founded itself in Pandemonium.
To establish a city in Pandemonium one had to register with the Centre Region where many world famous people under Death Monarch gather and also the centre of power in Pandemonium.
They also need to prove they have the capabilities to safeguard their citizens. Then they also need to prove their eligibility.
They must have at least had five Energy Disperse Stage High Realm experts or three Energy Disperse Stage pinnacle realm experts
The Centre Region also did not lose out on this. It was like they were leasing lands.
The Centre Region would only take thirty percent of the profit of the city and anyone that dares skimp on payment would have their cities sacked the people in power executed and expelled from Pandemonium
Most of the time the mayors and the founders of the cities were given full authority in their towns to do whatever they wanted but they must follow the rule that is established in the Centre Regional powers.
Not to mention they must not forget that there is still Death Monarch who is effectively the ruler of all Pandemonium and the deterrent for any forces in Pandemonium that have dark thoughts.
Then there is the Three Army led by Wang Jian, Athena and Freya.
If the World Government is ruling by uniting the humanity sentiment and the Republic is ruling by winning the hearts of the people then Death Monarch is ruling by the oldest and most simple principle.
Might is right!
Just because he doesn't show his face didn't mean people forget him or underestimate him.
Instead because he is rarely seen in public occasion whether in the establishment of cities or development fairs it only adds to his mysterious image.
The Centre regions in the beginning are governed by people that Sina picked which are mostly her friends and acolytes.
This was during the three months when the Death Monarch is in seclusion.
It is also when the Republic and the World Government seems to be discussing something with each other and seems to enter a period of cooperation.
Wang Jian who saw that Sina friends seem to be using their position to their advantages and suppressing the military factions was clearly incensed
He also did not like that the people Sina picked start acting like the nobles in the World Governments or the Senators of the Republic.
It is beyond their station because Death Monarch has never officially promoted them or gives them any real power
Their influence and power derives from Sina influence as the Death Monarch companions.
Wang Jian himself sees himself as a loyalist and he believes that the Genius Alchemist Sina while she means well, her actions do more harm than benefit
On the other hand Sina also saw this happening right in front of her eyes but she herself is usually busy in her apothecaries and rarely checks the work of the people she recommended.
There is also the fact that the people she appointed to is her friends or apprentices so she did not have the heart to reprimand them
There is also the constant voyage she makes every week or the secret correspondence she had with many people.
Some people even say that she sometimes talks to birds. Mostly black ravens that usually perched itself on the large tree behind her hobbit-like house
Wang Jian opposed this practice and then forcefully appointed his own deputies and people into the Central Government
Sina of course heard this and while she herself hated power struggles since she herself views it as unimportant, she felt like she had at least had to hear Wang Jian explanations.
Sina met with Wang Jian and they seem to reach an agreement and Wang Jian people were put in charge of many things.
Since the Death Monarch did not assign titles or assign allocation of jobs it was practically the Wang Jian faction and Sina faction ruling the Central Government.
And of course when such thing did happen, with the White Tiger army and Sina acolytes holding the reins of power, the allocation of resources is also affected.
Athena and Freya who were always good friends noticed that the resources for their army to grow and level up are low compared to the allocation of resources for Wang Jian White Tiger Army.
They of course could not stand this and return from the border area to the Central Government.
They both met with Wang Jian and threatened to report this to the Death Monarch to seek redress and air out their grievances.
Wang Jian also did not expect this to happen.
But it was then they saw the problem.
Even though Athena and Freya is under the Death Monarch now and is his subordinates and his generals, some people in the Central Government who was appointed by Wang Jian don't think that Athena and Freya army would be as good as their own White Tiger Army.
This is because Wang Jian was the first general under Death Monarch and he was known to be loyal and have always done his job without ever complaining to the Death Monarch.
But Athena and Freya….they used to be enemies.
It was a long time ago, but this fact is undoubtedly true. Wang Jian promised the two generals that he will put a stop to this but how could Athena and Freya believes him.
They could not believe mere words, and they trust those people in the Central Government even less.
So they too put their people in the Central Government.
And so a fierce struggle for power is always happening in the Central Government mostly because of the allocation of resources.
And this resource is collected either from expeditions or the taxes they levied on the cities that is established all around Pandemonium.
Some mayors also was loaned military service for a while to clear out the settlement and had to pay back when the cities started generating income
In the three months where Azief is in his seclusion all of this happens.
But when the Death Monarch finishes his seclusion it appears nothing happened, no power struggle, no conflict, no nothing.
Everyone seems to have no problems and seems to get along.
The public dares not tell the Death Monarch the chaos that Pandemonium faces because of this power struggle in his seclusion.
After all the mayors in the periphery of Pandemonium still had to rely on the Central Government for many things and it is clear that the people governing Pandemonium want to hide this problem from Death Monarch eyes.
But Azief was not an idiot. How could he not see? How could he not hear? Not hearing also means something.
The absence of noise is sometimes very telling. And not to mention, he has Sasha that commands his Shadows Guards.
She is his ears and eyes. Sometimes even Azief was shocked at the irony. Sasha was his enemies at one point of his life.
Kidnaped her friends and try to kill him. Who would have thought that their relationship will evolve like this?
Of course this had to do with Sina who wholeheartedly believes in Sasha. And because of Sina faith in Sasha, Azief also trust her.
And she did her job well.
Because of that Azief knows everything and hears everything. Pandemonium is his turf.
That is why Azief brought the Three Generals before him at that time and pressure them with his power.
To remind them who is really in charge.
They can play their power struggle and make-believe court politics all they want but if it reached his bottom line do not doubt that he, Death Monarch is decisive in his action and would not let a thorn in his eyes to remain long
From that day on, the Central Government seems to runs a little bit smoothly than before.
And the communication with the cities around the continent of Pandemonium is also strengthened as cooperation and protection of the Central Government towards the cities improved.
This is the result of the Decree by the Death Monarch that promotes the cooperation between the Central Government and the cities
He also created an Administrative Bureau and told Wang Jian to find someone to handle the governance in his stead.
When Wang Jian recommends Loki, The Death Monarch did not say anything but he just harrumphed and then he said he will think about it.
This was a day before the Death Monarch went to his second seclusion.
No one knows how long this seclusion is going to take but since the Distribution of the world was decided to happen in just a few months many speculates that he will be out before that time.
They would probably be shocked if they knew it only took the Death Monarch one day to finish his seclusion.
For now nobody knows that the Death Monarch has already went out from his seclusion and is right now resting in his own private chamber in the Centre Palace.
Of course the only other person that knows he is out from his seclusion is Boris, Katarina and Sasha.
Katarina also were quiet after that night. And Boris will not spread the word. Firstly, because it involves her sister. Second, because there is no benefit of spreading that news.
The days seem to be unchanging in Pandemonium until the day the Oracle showed up in the city of Achens which becomes local news for a while.
But...the weird thing started from that day. There are many Greeks in Achens as there are Europeans and even some Asians.
To the Greeks and many Europeans in the city, Erika is known to have prophetic ability. It is fearsome and also enticing.
And there are even some that worship her as the gifts of prophecy even in the world after the Fall is rare and unique in itself.
But none of the officials from the Administrative Bureau and anyone from the Central Government comes greet or welcome her.
Any factions would have at least shows a semblance of courtesy. But the Central Government was silent.
This is highly unusual
Some mayors also tried to inquire about why such matter happens. But it was like the Central Government is on lockdown.
No one is saying anything.
It is like someone on the top has ordered this gag order. Knowing this, the mayor of Achens felt even more nervous.
They all left like something big is surely going to happen. And then their premonitions prove true.
The city of Achens which is established around the southern shorelines of Pandemonium is in chaos today.
All of the leaders of the city contacted the Centre Region to inform of the appearance of four large tortoises not too far away from the shore.
What is more frightening is the white misty fog that shrouded the four tortoises. At certain times of the hour the mist would thin and people could see the four gigantic tortoises.
Around the entire sea area of around one hundred kilometers, mist seems to gather and preventing or people from seeing the rumored Storm Tide clearly.
Sitting on a peak of one of the mountains on top of the head of one of the tortoise is a man wearing purplish red mask.
It was a mask of an angered Demon that is usually depicted in Japanese Temples. His red robe seems to be flapping gently.
He seems to be waiting. He did not alight from his tortoise nor did he come closer to the continent or the city.
He just sits there, on the peak of that mountain, probably smiling underneath that mask, looking at Pandemonium, never moving an inch from that position.
He is a hundred kilometers away from the shores of Pandemonium, just staring at it, waiting for something.
He seems to be waiting for anything. A reaction or something. An attack or even a warning. But Pandemonium was silent.
Was this silence the decision of the mayor?
Or the leaders of the city? No!
They were warned by the Central Government to stay put and do not do anything. This is highly unusual and the order is strict resembling a military order
Someone from the top orders this. Someone who have enough clout and power to cow the whole Central Government.
The mayor instantly knew who is the dark hand that is behind the lockdown after thinking about the matter a bit.
Why there is not even a chirp about what happens in the Central Government? He quickly understands and with understanding the matters, he felt slightly relieved.
The Death Monarch, the true ruler of Pandemonium has come out from his seclusion.
This was true.
Azief when he returns from his visit to Katarina was resting in his secret chamber when he learns about Erika from Sasha
Azief had long known about Erika arrival.
But he did not seek her. He…out of everyone knew that knowing the future is not always good. Most of the time it could even be tragic, knowing one own future.
But that is not to say he was not tempted. After all, who does not want to know what will happen to them?
He knew that Erika the Oracle spoke of prophecies. But he also knows that prophecy is a double edged sword.
Sometimes hearing the prophecy propels you to that destiny which was prophesized. A so called self-fulfilled prophecy
And he also knows that every time the Oracle arrived somewhere that means there will be problems appearing not far away from her.
And like always Azief premonition is correct. Storm Tide appears just a few days after her arrival.
Azief and the League of Freedom had a complicated relationship.
Azief knew that they used to conspire against him but that conspiracy backfired on them when he acquires the Seven Fairy of the Plains.
But he also never forgets about this matter. This is also the reason why the League of Freedom is always wary of him.
But during his massacre on the Island of Peace, it was also true that he allowing the League of Freedom entering and raiding the World Government opens the possibility of a truce.