novelraw Chapter 607 - 606 - Empire of Hope
Chapter 607 - 606 - Empire of Hope
Compared to building the Two Rivers Empire from scratch, converting the Dar Empire was like a dream! The facilities were all there if a bit singed or damaged.
The cities already existed and crops were already set up in a cycle. There were resources already waiting to be collected and harvested as well as new ones to be planted in the case of herbs.
All in all, 15 years seemed too short but it was nothing compared to the demons. Haim was emperor. He had a few upstarts at first but his power crushed them brutally. The new city lords tried to rebel and found a damned dragon and silver roc smashing their dreams of independence to pieces, but very few died.
After the first 5 years, the focus of the other empires did help unify the demons and aether children.
The surviving children and a few humans who were enslaved for defying nobles, were sent back to the Two Rivers Empire to start over. Many cursed the demons but Lind hoped one day they could understand.
Once that calmed down, Lind flipped their world upside down. He found it the best method as the Soulless were finally returned.
Many chose to die, even when offered the chance for fighting. He did not ask but a few that chose to live said they would die when the war was over.
Some joined the Emerald Souls but not all.
The new Empire beckoned.
Oddly, Haim named it the Empire of Hope. In his first speech, one of the damned few the man would give, he declared that they had been repressed but now could forge their own empire.
They could make a better one for the generations to follow. The Two Rivers Empire, obviously, was an ally but only an equal. Lind had no problem with that but had to fix many things.
Removing the brands and fixing their cultivations stunned the entire population. Further, he found demonic elixir masters to help him and happily trained them up!
In a short 10 years, the Empire of hope had become as protected as the Two Rivers Empire and the demons took to training like they were born for it.
Gravis and his commanders quickly brought them through basics up to intermediate weapons and combat training. Some excelled and were promoted but it was a strict hierarchy per Haim.
The man also took 3 wives to make many children and solidify his foundation! Lind wished him luck as he noted several demonesses and a few aether children eyed him too! Lind quietly escaped all of that!
He had no desire for such offers! Shi actually was refreshing in that she had no such designs on him, but it was a bit sad as her worry for her brother and her miserable upbringing was likely the cause.
Still, he did not dare to touch that mental quagmire unless she truly needed help.
Once the Empire began to find a routine, a piece of news made their way to them. It seemed a civil war had tried to start and resulted in massive purges.
Orwellia and Raquera Empires were enraged at the loss of life they suffered while the other 3 empires simply shrugged it off. They had suffered as well but pulled back and simply waited it out.
The 2 empires made an alliance and wanted to wage war on the other 3. It was serious as combat wise, only Karridan could stand up to either one of them but not both. Perot and Hilden, while powerful, were not very helpful.
Xing was losing control but then she stomped out all resistance with a single command. The imperial families of both Raquera and Orewellia Empire were wiped out root and branch. Further, half the nobles died with them.
It was not the kind of thing that could be kept quiet, and LInd suspected Xing wanted him to know. She would not allow a repeat of Dar.
It gave him pause certainly but Shi did not actually know where the Core Hall was as she only ever went there by teleportation and they had to disable the one in Dar.
He knew given the descriptions and what he had learned since that Requera was likely but Hilden could also be the source. Karridan was not it at all as Shi described a shift in sunlight when teleporting there once but the others she did not know as the others kept their arrays indoors.
The mystery of the Core Hall could wait as for the moment, they had bigger issues. The war must continue and they had the forces but not a target.
Now that Xing knew what Lind could do, she would rather wipe out an entire empire to stop him. Also, the other empires were not so cut and dried as Dar had been. The slave and the Soulless had been a majority of the empire and thus the target of freedom.
While there were no doubt similarly cruel people in the other empires, there also those like Gravis and Melody just trying to live.
Getting that point across was a sticking point!
"We must wipe them all out! No mercy!" A slim demon spoke. He was missing an arm but looked healthy otherwise. Lind had offered an elixir to help him recover but the man refused. He was one of the new ministers of the Empire of Hope, Pillar.
His name was not chosen but given by other slaves as he had been their strength in the darkest days. He always stood up for them and suffered for it.
"Minister Pillar, you know you are talking to an Emperor who freed us with humans that ran away from the empires. Some live worse than we ever did in Karridan for example. You would kill them too?" A demoness with one crimson and one cobalt blue eye spoke up for Lind.
Seras was a strange one. She had been enslaved as some kind of prophetess but she never stated why. She also refused to discuss any such power, but Lind always felt odd around her.
"I respect Lind Frey, but he is not human. He is a dragon. I have no issues with him at all." Pillar actually did respect Lind. He was respectful to all the members of the Two Rivers Empire.
He grieved with them over their lost comrades in the war and honored the dead too. Yet, he stubbornly refused any help from them.
Lind had seen it before but the current situation was sticky. He needed them to understand his bottom line.
"Toddlers? Babies? What about prisoners? Where do you draw the line, old fool?" Haim was as blunt as ever but even he would no longer condone such complete death and destruction.
Haim had changed drastically as the full weight of his new empire began to rest on his shoulders. Lind did what he could but ultimately they were vastly different people and different goals.
Still, Haim appreciated it.
"Of course not! I am not a monster like them! Yet, can you all tell me none of our forces will not go so far. What will you tell them, to hold back in the heat of the moment?" Pillar was pointing out the weakness Haim refused to see.
So far as he was concerned, his orders were law. No one would defy him anymore but Lind saw it. He sighed as his aura flared and he transformed. His imposing height, scales, and fangs were quite effective.
"Then they will die." Pillar finally looked relieved. The old man saw things more clearly but did not impose his view. He led them there!
"I do not mind directness, Pillar. In the future, you would do well to remember that about me." Lind undid his transformation but his eyes were coldly looking at Pillar who bowed low. Seras smirked and Lind realized he and Haim had been played.
"Enough of this, which empire do we take?" That was the question they danced around. The talk of what mercy to give whom was nothing but childish quibbling.
"Xing will act the moment we move in any direction. She cannot afford to lose another empire but the other empires will not be so easy either. Yet, Xing also gave us an opening." Lind pointed at the map on the long table between them.
It showed the 2 neighboring empires. Requera and Orwellia were weakened severely by Xing's own hand. She had to know it but she could not allow a civil war. They had confirmed the deaths of the imperial families over the last 5 years.
Lind took nothing for granted as one mistake meant death for them all. He was the only one that could repair the weavings that protected them. No other weaver had been found but Shi was a spirit blessed woman in weaving.
She was in the 6th Circle but that gave her a wide range of ability to help Lind out.
Even now, she was changing the many weavings around the cities with Gravis protecting her. Keke was also guarding her while Lind was in the Imperial Palace.
He had noticed that Shi had changed slightly and Keke was related to it. He kept his opinions to himself but the lad had opened her heart to new possibilities by being a friend and understanding her pain.
He had lost all his family and only had Melody left. Lind saved them and now her brother was in danger as he had been back then.
"I think we should go after Requera." Lind made them all look confused as that seemed like stretching their forces, but he smirked as he began to explain why.
As he spoke, Haim's eyes glinted and even Pillar smirked. While it had risk it would also be something Xing could do nothing about. Further, it would put Orewellia between 2 branches of their forces.
"How long would it take to set up?" Haim asked the tough question which made Lind lean back and then smile.
"If all goes well, 3 years. The hard part will be the race against time. Also, if I am wrong, we will have to fall back damned fast." All 3 demons nodded but Seras seemed to squint before frowning.
"You need to take that Soulmancer with you." Lind arched his eyebrow as Lili had been healed and left suppressed in a cell until then. Unlike the other Soulmancers, red robes had a much better reputation even with the demons.
They were just so damned rare. Still, she had shown no sign of repenting or seeing things from their side. She was loyal and steadfast which surprised Lind a great deal.
"Any reason in particular?" Lind knew he was not the only one that would need a reason but Seras only smiled and said a chilling sentence.
"You will die otherwise." She then left and even Haim shivered. Lind felt very tired and he had not even started yet! Still, there was some merit to taking Lili with them. She would not betray her people but perhaps she could help in reducing casualties.
He could only sigh and knew he had a very difficult conversation coming up.