Chapter 1633: The Ways Forward
[Executor, I know this is probably the least professional thing you’ve ever heard me say, but can I please leave? This guy is starting to offend me, which is something I never thought I’d say...ever,] Blazejudicator requested.
’No no, I get it. Although, that might be because I’m feeling icky from this guy, and it’s starting to bleed into my connection with you and the others. We should probably exchange parting words before leaving...or at least see what he wants in exchange for help.’
[I am fairly certain that his rewards are going to involve that Orgy Pudding mix he came up, or possibly worse,] Hurricroak pointed out.
[What the fuck is worse than being gifted the first taste of a pudding made by constant motions of an orgy?] Nepherage asked, honestly afraid of the answer.
[Depends entirely if the maestro is into the idea of being in the center of a snowball,] Hurricroak answered.
[What does that mean?]
’I know what she means...’
...Alright, enough sex talk from the kaijin at least...
"So, what do you think, oh honorable judge of flames? Is my goal not a worthy pursuit? Is it not a glorious future worth fighting for?" Hulna asked with deep sincerity.
The man who had been regularly huffing the smoke fumes of dozens upon dozens of orgies truly believed that a world where conflict could be resolved through carnality was the best possible future not just for himself, but for the Theocracy as a whole.
There was an argument to be made that a land where the average person focused more on sex than selfishness, that it would be significantly more peaceful. But at the same time...such a society would definitely lead to a population collapse.
Constant "love" would lead to constant childbirth, and an ever-increasing population would require enough food and land to... wait a fucking minute.
[Odd question, but in this vision of the future where constant and rampant fucking is the norm, what happens to the children, the old, and disabled?]
"Aside from the children, all shall be free to participate at their leisure. You’d honestly be surprised at the sheer amount of people who want to share the love with someone who is over eighty winters old, or someone who is missing an eye and—"
[I get it, I get it,] Blaze interjected. [I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised about that fact, but it’s still jarring being informed about it.]
This moment should’ve been a point against Blaze’s credibility, but due to the man still riding off of his own high or something along those lines, Hulna simply shrugged it off and continued to explain his vision.
"But don’t worry about the minors. They will be well taken care of and educated until they’re ready to join greater society and share the love of the New Flame."
[...]
Blaze didn’t say anything, but he was fairly certain he just heard a crime.
[So to sum up...instead of giving everyone a common enemy to unite against, you wish to change everyone’s priorities?]
"Exactly!" Hulna eagerly nodded. "Of course, I don’t expect this process to be quick and easy. It will take time...and the elimination of certain rogue elements that would make this task more difficult than it needs to be..."
As Hulna said that last little bit, he directed a meaningful stare in Blaze’s direction.
[Such a thing...is costly. I hope you understand that.]
"Oh, I know, I know." Hulna nodded in understanding. "But...I imagine the very soul of fellow Aether King is probably worth something, yes?"
At this offer, Blaze rose a burning brow.
[Explain.]
"One does not reach my level without breaking a few eggs, without taking a few lives, and without having come across regretful treasures that they wish they didn’t find...until the moment calls for them," Hulna began to explain, his tone sounding oddly sad. "Ages ago, I found an aether treasure that had the rare and dangerous ability of stealing someone’s soul. After much study, I found that it could only do so once, but it would turn that target into a powerful aether resource that could be a boon in elevating one’s cultivation or be the keystone needed to create a powerful aether treasure. Either way, I would be more than happy to give this treasure to you in exchange for...helping me come out on top, as it were."
[An interesting proposition...] Blaze idly nodded. [But are you sure the offshoot flame you’re working with will be okay with this? Aren’t you afraid of it taking his side over yours?]
At this question, Hulna gave a strange smile.
"Oh, don’t worry about that; I will make sure that my dear benefactor will see things my way when the time comes..."
[I hope you do,] Blaze said in a neutral tone. [Well, I suppose I have seen everything I needed to see then...we’ll be in touch.]
"Huh? What are you—?"
But before Hulna could finish asking his question, Blaze simply disappeared before the priest could notice.
The fire that was acting as their medium had turned back to normal, and the scent of burning soiled articles filled the room once more.
However, to Hulna, the scent smelled a bit...sweeter than before.
"Wait...what did I just tell that guy? Oh no..."
...Alright, now what does the mastermind of this entire affair think?...
Despite only having to observe remotely and occasionally feed lines, Zhen Liu was more or less exhausted after doing all of those meetings in rapid succession.
Physically speaking, he was aces.
Mentally speaking, though...woof.
Just...woof.
’It’s a good thing I did it in this study room,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself as he more or less collapsed on the table in front of his chair and did his best impression of an insomniac high school student. ’I wouldn’t want to subject anyone to whatever reaction those last two shook out of me.’
Zhen Liu met Hulna, Feroxxa, and Legante through proxy because he had wanted to see if he made the right choice in assisting Serena.
Evidently, that was more or less correct.
The ways forward other than assisting Serena kind of sucked mega ass.
’I sincerely get the feeling that the Emperor on the other side of the wall is probably dead,’ Zhen Liu thought to himself as he thought about the meeting with Legante.
Assisting General Legante meant helping to get the [Sacred Flame] to the Erupting Dawn Emperor.
Everything he had heard about the man wasn’t exactly positive, and while it sounded nice having an Aether Emperor as an ally, he had no idea whether or not that extended to the man’s children. Hell, for all he knew, the guy was already dead and his kids were just pretending he was in order to keep this war going. It also didn’t help that helping them would mean destroying the Sacred Flame Theocracy, and even though Zhen Liu wasn’t exactly the religious type, he didn’t like the idea of having a destroyed nation-state on his conscience...yet.
’Then again, if I’m going full murderhobo, working with Feroxxa would be the best way to start...’
Assisting Feroxxa meant an ideological purge of the Theocracy, which...given the sects he had seen running Emberona didn’t sound like a bad thing, but it definitely wasn’t good either. Zhen Liu had read history books where, time and time again, someone tries to do a religious ideological purge, which then leads to untold mass suffering on a global scale. And when said purge finally dies out because everyone else had enough of their shit, the remnants of the ideology that caused it in the first place linger around like maggots in a corpse.
’And then there’s Mister Free Love...nah. Just...nah.’
Hulna’s idea for a future sounded nice on paper, since love replacing hate tends to be the wiser course of action for life, but the way he wanted to go about it was absolutely terrible.
Coerced love isn’t truly love, and mandated happiness isn’t true happiness.
Suffering shouldn’t be the norm, but it sure as shit made sure good things had some proper fucking meaning.
Either way, once Zhen Liu had time to think about all three of these awful possibilities, he soon settled that helping Serena and the original [Sacred Flame] was probably the best course of action.
’Why the hell does this feel like I’m staring down the barrel of a karmic canon that will determine my future fate?’ Zhen Liu mused to himself as he sat up from the table and thought about his next course of action. ’Actually, more relevant question: why the fuck did my suspect pool get fucking bigger?!’
Feroxxa and Hulna were both high-ranking officials; ergo, they could’ve easily shown up to the cathedral in disguise and done the dirty deed.
However, there is an added factor that throws that theory not necessarily out the window but sure as shit lines them up with a catapult: the royal children.
’If there’s anything I know about royalty, it’s that they usually have a terrible time keeping secrets.’
