"I think I understand what you mean. But don't we also have heroes in our continent?"
"Yeah, we have the Sieg Bisumods, Bendicion, Marintopia, the adventurer's guide and even possibly the 5 Suns."
"Yeah, but can any of those people really fight back against the forces of a continent by themselves, you know, there is a lot more to warfare. Things like logistics between a nation and a bunch of individual groups are way different."
"There are also many other kinds of monsters out there. According to Captivant, we have people like the Gevurah seven 1st seats who seem to be picking fights wherever they go; it seems that the warmonger nation is going to grow again. They have a negative bias against anyone related to the Church of the Messiah, so they may end up our enemies."
"We have the navy?"
"Those corrupt and spineless bastards? They will roll over on their bellies for the Federation of Kings."
"But not everyone of them is bad, we have people like Warwick now who seem to fight for us."
"He is only a rookie, and knowing those bastards, they might end up cutting off his head in no time. I guess that's the limits of humanity when faced with overwhelming power."
"Mommy, but that isn't true. Humans have overcome bad things before; we can see it all across the sea when those giant cities that live on the sea move by."
"That's a rather hopeful look in your eyes you have my wife, but Celestial vision is long gone."
"No, according to Captivant, what they created can still be repaired and improved by those of us who live in the modern era. We can keep moving forward past even forgotten legends."
-Break-
Location: Blooming Country, Floración; Capital City Mariana
Φ Throughout the city, flowers burst through each and every corner as celebration from the people spread like wildfire, consuming and infecting everyone who meets it, and sitting on a dinner table by a balcony.
I turn my head to the woman on the other edge, and say, "They all look like their souls are about to pop out of their bodies in excitement. You'd think they would be more fearful given all the battles that have been happening around the area."
With an annoyed look, Ai says, "Of course they do. The people of this country celebrate no matter what; it's a way to honour King Charles, who was most likely buried here after his death. Besides, it's not like any full would dare to attack this country and risk becoming the enemy of humanity."
"You say that, but the federation of kings has been using whatever slippery means they can use to invade and take hold of this country. Cause enough issues, claim the country's personal army can't handle it, invade under the guise of securing King Charles grave, then use it to further increase their legitimacy on a world stage with humanity's most holy of sites."
"It's nice for you to call such a thing out when one could easily make the claim you and Warwick are doing something similar."
"I have done nothing of the sort! All I've done is make sure that the world hears of Warwick's bravery, and that the plan Cario set us up on moves forward splendidly."
"I should report you," Ai says, taking a sip of alcohol from the glass in front of her. "Countless lives and exaggeration. Yet unlike before, I don't see the same wonder in your eye, just a whole lot of greed."
Bringing my face close to her, I say, "If you actually saw my greed, you wouldn't still be sitting here."
Pulling back, she covers her face with her arm and says, "I told you if I catch you trying to flirt with me again, I will rip off your head."
"You say that, but your expression always gives you away. If you want to spend more time with me, you can just say so, and I'll allow it."
She swipes her hand towards me, trying to knock me out of my chair, and I grab her. "Looks like I got you."
Then with a single leap, I jump off the balcony and land on the ground were flower burst around, and everyone spirals with their dance partner in hand. Placing her feet against the floor, I bow and hold out my arm as I say, "I know my presence can be annoying, but you've protected me through countless situations over this last year, and have critced me so much I've grown as a writer, so as the prettiest girl around, would you spin and dance with me for the day?"
She slowly reaches out her hand towards mine, and feeling its pressure close to me, I grab it and lift my head up to see her blushing expression as I say, "Now you're mine!"
And I quickly move with everyone else dancing in spirals as I hold hands with Ai, yet quickly composing herself, she takes the lead away from me, controlling the flow of our movements, as I say, "You're able to dance?"
Reaching her head past my neck, she whispers into my ear, "To get close to the richest and most powerful, the spies of CN are trained in many different forms, which include dancing in a way to allure our targets," then blows against my neck before pulling back and allowing my eyes to feast on a great smile.
For that instant, I feel my heart stop, yet it fills with excitement moments later as I say, "I love this life."
I can't stop moving forward, I can't stop spreading my name, because the voices of those who are spun up into a frenzy over my words grant me a life I wish for more than anything else.
-Age 23-
Continent: Molstoria
Φ "Did you all hear, Warwick, has shattered another group of bandits, the largest group in the east of Molstoria."
"I've heard he managed to disturb piles of critical medical supplies they were hoarding. It's been an issue with Bendícon supply shipments, being raided in recent years."
"You'd think they tightened the guards around their shipments."
"Rumours have it that they have been working with the pirates to create a form of cartel. Selling the drugs at high prices, while keeping their reputation clean and avoiding any blowback from Cordum or the Adventurers guild. Or at least that's what people have been piecing together from Captivant's books."
"That's an insane theory, you know, Bendícon has existed for the continent for centuries at this point. If it wasn't for them, many of us would've died of disease."
"But you know what they are. At the end of the day, they're still Nightmares."
"I don't think it's because their Nightmares, but when it comes to screwing people over, it's easier when you can separate us vs them, and maybe that's why they're doing it."
"By that logic, all of us would be willing to kill the next island over for nothing. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it? And you're all talking as if they are already confirmed as traitors."
"This talk is already excessive; let's not go populating the kids into thinking our continent's heroes are monsters."
"While it's all about incentives in the end. If Bendícon start fucking us, they can make lots of money, and people like my daughter can only see them in a good light. If they work with the federation of kings who have all but tamed the Navy, no force could even detect or stop them at scale."
"Right now, the kings, the heroes, and the army are all incentivised to work against us with no counterbalance on any level. Especially military officers, apparently, their pay and rank increases are all built on blind loyalty, while at least according to Captivant."
"I heard that Warwick has a special reward structure in which people are rewarded based on community feedback from his endverors. It's all published for everyone to see; you can find it in CN butterflies."
"That's intriguing, but I wouldn't expect those Chronicle Nimbutt cowards to ever have the balls to try and involve themselves in something like this."
"They should just go back to talking about the latest drama among the nobles and whatnot."
"Come on, don't be too hard on them, all of that stuff was interesting, hearing about what all the kings and queens of the Molstoria and the world at large were doing with their wealth. Captivant has even written about it."
"It's nothing more than regressive nonsense. Those people are wasting money on abhorrent overexcessiveness to such an insane level. They treat a tsunami of wealth the same as a little drizzle and then force us to pay taxes on all our products like we are some kind of animals."
"SHHHH! You never know who might be listening. Such public outcry can just attract opportunistic trash who want to sell you out for a day around the bar."
"Then you could hire an adventurer to hunt down the traitorous beast."
"They do hit you, moron."
"It was a joke, but did you know that before adventurers, because a common occurrence, they started as small groups of people who existed to help the people of Terrafide with the issues they were facing settling back in on their land after the Beastkin were kicked out."
"That's pretty funny, but I guess that's what you'd expect of humans. In one way or another, we are always trying to help one another."
"Well, the people of Molstoria have been taking care of each other in one way or another for generations."
"I guess we should go say hello to our neighbours, it's been a while since we saw them."
"Maybe we should check on how the people on a few islands over are doing,"
"I think they are doing fine. Crecitierra, the king is actually competent, unlike ours, he makes great efforts to protect his people and keep them all fat and healthy."
"That sounds like a dream to live under, but I never thought I would see the day when you're talking up about a ruler?"
"I am a grown man, I have no issues correcting myself when I have a wrong impression, and I doubt Captivant would have written about a king whom he didn't think was virtuous."
"I heard Captivant has also been writing about other rulers?"
"Yeah, the kings of the Maledictio Fimbulvetris, and Florens Gloria Dei regions respectively, have been working within the lands to make them more prosperous. It really is bringing a large smile to my face knowing that at least some of us are being treated correctly."
"I guess our rulers aren't as bad as the rest make me feel sort of proud to be from this land."
"I know, maybe we should work a little harder, if our taxes are being redistributed back to other areas throughout the land."
"In a way, doesn't it make us heroes?"
"I guess I am as great as Warwick then."
"Warwick isn't that great of a hero."
"What are you on about?"
"Haven't you heard there might be a chance he is actually working with the federation of kings to trick the common people into thinking he is different?"
"That sounds like a lie to discredit all the work he has been doing for us?"
"I thought the same at first, but it isn't that simple as these theories come from Captivant himself?"
"You can't be serious? Are you sure it's not some kind of fabrication?"
"I don't know, but when I read his words, I feel the feelings from them, just like when I read the rest of his books, it feels authentic."
"Then those foreign kings were really trying to manipulate us into falling in love with their pseudo hero."
"I swear they can never have even a smidge of character, those pieces of trash."
"Luckily, we don't hail from their countries. I wonder how brainwashed their own citizenry is if they can almost control us to such an extent. At the very least, we have Captivant."
"Thank god we have Captivant."
"At the end of the day, the only one we can trust is Captivant."