Evalyn left Crux to watch the faction members and led them through the campus like they were part of a chain gang.
Once everyone got to the residential district, with the standard living mansions, she turned to everyone.
"You have fifteen minutes to collect your belongings." The blonde announced.
"You'll find empty luggage bags with your name outside your rooms.
Since you're the first to leave the mansions temporarily, we'll accept your baggage in the lobby if you want us to protect it—just this once.
That will ensure it won't get misplaced or stolen in the communal campsite."
"Heh. How generous, kicking us out to somewhere our stuff will get stolen and then protecting it." A man scoffed under his breath.
"What was that, Mitch?" Evalyn asked him with a sinister smile.
His heart pulsed violently, seeing her vicious gaze peering into his soul.
However, he figured that no justifying it was grounds for further punishment or social issues, so he solidified his resolve.
"Half of the mansions here are empty." Mitch dry-swallowed, "And there's more east of the Immortal Skye Amphitheater.
Kicking everyone out isn't a matter of resources, or you'd have us working off our debt.
What you're doing is a simple punishment for disobeying or questioning you. Isn't it?"
"What a well-articulated argument." Evalyn replied with an ominous grin that made everyone's heart speed up. "It's great to see someone thinking."
The faction member's eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. "Does that mean—"
"Too bad you're an idiot." The blonde added ruthlessly, "If I'm giving people punishments for disobeying or questioning me, and you ended up here for doing so, why are you still doing it?"
An icy shiver crawled down his spine when she concluded her statement. "G-General Evalyn, I just told you I'm not opposed to working off this debt."
"I see… you didn't listen when we stated you could earn Skye for additional tasks, thus allowing you can get back into your room in less than a week." Evalyn mused maliciously, "Oh….
And if you're right about my rationale, you're still demonstrating stupidity for disobeying my authority."
Her counter caused his blood to boil and his face to heat up in anger and humiliation.
Mitch hadn't seen what awaited them on the outside.
As a result, it was an abstract concept—much like reading about a war in another country, understanding there's death and suffering, and being unable to sympathize genuinely.
"Does the Emperor know about what you're doing here?" He asked coldly.
"It's cute you think that's relevant." She smiled in amusement, "To insinuate that the cofounder of Immortal Skye can't act independently without asking permission from the other cofounder… is quite amusing."
"You mean to tell me that you are truly on equal footing with him?" Mitch scoffed, "The Emperor is the famous cultivator we're here to learn from.
He's the person that made billions at record-shattering speeds to buy this place.
Yet you're telling me you have an equal say to the Emperor?"
Those who got punished for trying to help others began whispering excitedly, making Mitch feel vindicated for standing up.
From the beginning, she was a horrifying tyrant, in the modern sense, who cruelly punished everyone in their minds.
Kaze was the person who was there teaching them daily, making their lives comfortable and dazzling them.
So everyone naturally agreed, traumatized or otherwise.
Mitch felt more confident as he stood there, staring the blonde down with a righteous glare.
However, his heart slowed when the atmosphere dropped multiple degrees, and everyone stopped whispering.
Something cold nicked the back of his neck, making him jolt in surprise.
Jumping made things worse—a dozen more pricks followed, sending devastating fear crashing through his body.
Those waiting gasped in shock and fear, only increasing his fear of moving.
He dry-swallowed, cold sweat cooling rapidly on his neck and forehead.
"I'm curious, Mitch." Evalyn mused malevolently, "Do you want to test whether I have equal authority as Kaze Lexicon."
His eyes widened in shock as something cold and sharp circled his neck.
When the object moved past the side of his neck, he saw a beautiful, mythical dagger made out of ice moving across his neck.
Mitch could feel it slicing through the first layer of his skin before ice froze it shut.
Watching it move over his jugular vein was harrowing—acutely distressing.
It stopped in front of his adam's apple, awaiting the order to thrust forward and end his life.
"Immortal Skye is an independent country." Evalyn whispered seductively, walking up to him and touching his cheek, "So it's legal to test my authority.
We can get a definitive answer on the subject if you wish. Just say the words."
Mitch wanted to say no, but the blade touched his adam's apple. So simply swallowing, speaking, or shaking his head would slice his neck.
"Hoh?" She mused, cocking her head, "It seems that when you have a tangible understanding of death and consequences, you're also silent—just like the others."
Everyone held their breaths, and those who tried to support the traumatized members looked around.
The returnees looked at the ground with trembling eyes, reminded of why they weren't disobeying or complaining.
It became clear that the blonde's actions weren't unique—they were a demonstration.
Mitch's eyes trembled, staring into her crystal blue eyes in terror.
He thought his life would end. However, to his surprise, the dagger against his neck dissolved into a snowflake and fell to the ground.
A light breeze also brought snowflakes to the back of his neck, indicating that multiple blades surrounded his neck from all angles.
"It seems that you don't want that. Am I correct in that assumption?" The blonde asked with a sardonic grin.
"Y-Yes…." Mitch winced, afraid he'd slice himself, "I-I understand, General Skye."
Evalyn's eyes flashed cold, and her sinister expression disappeared, leaving only her raw emotions. "Do not disrespect me or my authority again."
The area fell dead silent at her cold, definitive statement.
"Listen up, everyone!" She ordered, "So long as you follow Kaze and me, you will not suffer from the atrocities of the outside world.
We will teach you, build you up, feed you, protect you, and help you grow."
The hundred people in the line were stunned by her positive message.
"However, you will devote your lives to us and follow our laws to receive our protection and support.
If you don't, you will receive indiscriminate punishment or deportation.
I make the laws, so you will follow my words without question or meet you'll that fate."
The faction members shuddered at her cold declaration. However, her words were also confident and charismatic.
She threatened a man's life brutally but convinced everyone that she was there to save their lives benevolently—and they believed it. It was strange.
Without knowing it, they laid eyes on the new Ice Phoenix for the first time.
Evalyn Skye was a woman known for giving those who followed her great lives and met those who didn't with merciless ruin.
Her reign was genuinely benign. Few didn't receive a second lease at life and benefit for their efforts.
She was a terrifying, benevolent dictator with an unnatural charisma.
However, this time her charisma was more tangible.
The Ice Phoenix was far more empathetic; she made decisions that pushed against her cold utilitarian mindset. So her charisma this time around would only grow.
People's love for her would flourish, and only time separated her current reputation from its destiny.
"'I'm not being tyrannical for asking for absolute adherence to my words—I'm governing people." The Ice Phoenix declared,
"In Malta—a nation-state—you follow the laws and decrees made by its leaders with absolute adherence.
Immortal Skye is also a nation-state, so its leaders' words are also the law—and I'm a leader.
How I ended up here is irrelevant.
Your viewpoints are inconsequential.
Good intentions are meaningless.
If you want to live here, you will follow my rules unless Kaze approaches me, and we discuss what I've done and decide to amend it.
If you don't like the laws, get on a skycruiser tomorrow and obsequiously follow Malta's laws and mandates without question.
I'm here to improve your lives, and I won't let people step on me for doing so."
Mitch swallowed nervously. He unleashed hell on a scale he didn't feel possible.
Now that she defined the profound meaning behind Immortal Skye's nation-state status, he understood the gravity of disobedience.
Whether she was the president or vice president, spitting on her was equally suicidal.
"Now that you fully understand the legal system here, I'm letting you off with a warning." Evalyn announced coldly, "However, this warning is for [everyone].
And if you, Mitch, break the rules or disrespect me again, you'll face twice the punishment as everyone else. Do you understand?"
Mitch nodded sheepishly, not looking at anyone. He didn't care about the opinions of anyone else because the real punishments were far more profound than the social ones.
"Good enough." She scoffed in vexation, "Now get your belongings.
You have ten minutes because Mitch wasted your time, so I suggest you hustle."
Everyone stopped themselves from groaning, looking at the ground, dejected.
"Go!" Evalyn barked, breaking them out of their haze and informing them they were to move immediately.
The faction members hurriedly ran into their rooms.
Kaze already had Veronica's belongings moved to another room. So she grabbed her luggage, moved it into her room, and returned four minutes later, quickly moving down the stairs.
When she left the mansion, she saw Evalyn staring at the clear blue sky with a melancholy expression. The blonde looked tortured.
Veronica observed her until Evalyn leveled her gaze and made eye contact with pure ambivalence.
Her mask was impregnable again, hiding the ceaseless pain and torment she suffered through.
When everyone made it back out, she addressed everyone again. "Let's move out."
The faction members walked behind her until they made it to a clearing in the forest where tent equipment, grills, water stations, and portable bathrooms awaited them.
Immortal Skye hadn't set up the military fifty-person tents, which were far more complicated than regular camping tents, requiring ten pages of instructions.
"Here is your new home until you earn enough Skye to move out." Evalyn announced dryly, "Tents are gender organized.
There are two tents for women and one tent for men. Men are prohibited from entering female tents at any time, or they will immediately get expelled."
Everyone winced, understanding they had no free space.
The men were also discontented, as the women would have far more space since they had two tents for low overflow.
"As I said, you can move out as soon as you have enough Skye." She reiterated, "It's a busy time, and there's a need for extra work.
Obsessively seeking extra tasks could get you back into your room in a few days."
The faction members blinked twice, uncertain they heard her correctly.
"I'm not here to punish anyone." Evalyn claimed, rolling her eyes, "I'm here to maintain order to keep you safe.
Panic leads to fights, arson, murder, and assault. We've punished people triggering panic and put them into safe tents with watchful eyes, preventing predators from entering.
You can leave here quickly, and those who can cause trouble for everyone aren't causing problems.
I don't care if you hate me, but at least consider the benefits of what I do before you condemn me."
Everyone looked at her as if they had seen her for the first time.
Veronica narrowed her eyes, studying her leader's expression closely. However, the blonde had already walked away without another before she mined much information from her expression.
The black-haired pixie scanned the stunned faction members. They were still afraid to speak and looked at each other awkwardly.
"The general went too far." She commented, "No… I should test that first, unless…."
After taking an inconspicuous breath, she subtly glanced at the [good-natured] woman who triggered the dissenters to complain about the returnees' treatment.
Her curly, auburn hair was in a loose ponytail, and she stood around with a scowl.
She looked pissed, shaking even after Evalyn left.
It was Haiden Maryanne Rompers—the woman who nearly killed her.
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