Ichiro cast his eyes about the room. Before him were seven people, monarchs, if those crowns meant what they did on his world, watching him carefully.
“Our world is in grave danger.” The man in the front said. “Our Hero has turned her fangs on the people, and we do not believe we can weather the storm that is the Lord of Monsters. As such, we have summoned you here, to provide aid in our most desperate hour. Each of us that stand before you lead one of this world’s countries, and to prevent an unfair power imbalance, you are allowed to choose which country you would like to be trained in. I am sure you have questions, so please do not hesitate to ask us; we will answer to the best of our abilities.”
Ichiro frowned. He didn’t trust anyone here, that pile of bodies was a major red flag. “What’s with the bodies?” He asked, scanning the faces of the monarchs. “This isn’t some form of greeting on this world, is it?”
The man in the front shook his head sadly. “No. The summoning ritual is so taxing that it requires the lives of those that perform it. Each of the bodies on the floor here was a volunteer, who knew full well what this would do to them. Their families have been handsomely rewarded, and they will be remembered as people who were instrumental in saving the world. Please, do not worry for them.”
Ichiro bit his lip. That sounded plausible, and the mages almost certainly died because of this ritual, but whether or not they were volunteers, or if their families were rewarded was unknown. “Why do believe your Hero has turned against you?” He asked. “I thought that was supposed to be impossible.”
“As did we. She seems to be using proxies of some sort as a way to circumvent these restrictions, and is building an army as we speak.”
That…did not sound right. Heroes could not take any action that would be to the detriment of society as a whole, regardless of if it was indirect or not. And…the gods had warned him that not everything in this world was as it seemed. Yes, Ichiro was willing to bet that this Hero business was at least partially what they were referring to, and by Connie’s indication, her followers had answers.
He took a moment to study each of the monarchs in turn, using Connie’s Blessing to see their “worth”. The windows he received were interesting, to say the least; they showed him all of their stats, yes, but it also had a bit at the bottom listing their notable assets, personality traits, and other miscellaneous information that would be useful.
One in particular stood out to him, a haggard-looking man on the far left. His status indicated that not only was he the ruler of the country that had housed the Hero, but he also had a non-aggression treaty with something called “the swarm”, and his country was likely to be humanity’s last bastion against their encroachment.
“I will be going with Brom.” Ichiro announced. “No other questions.”
Contrary to his expectations, Brom did not look happy about this in the slightest. “I would advise against that, Hero.” He said, his exhaustion evident. “My country would not be safe for you.”
“I have made up my mind, and would like to leave immediately.” Ichiro said firmly. “There is much to discuss, and time is precious. Regardless of safety, I know this is my best option if I want to help.”
Brom frowned. “Anyone else would be better, I can assure you.” He pleaded. “You are not aware of the danger you are putting yourself in.”
That was highly suspicious. “Why?”
“I am not at liberty to say.” Brom said. “I wish I could tell you, but I am literally incapable.”
“Then I’ll just have to find out for myself.” Ichiro said. “Do you have transportation back to the Glens?”
Brom sighed. “Very well. I have a teleportation device a short walk away. Follow me.” Thɪs chapter is updated by novel~fire~net
Ichiro walked over to Brom, ignoring the judgmental gazes of the monarchs. Brom led him through a couple of corridors, and to a small side room, where a gate of some sort was set into the wall. Brom worked a quick spell, and a portal appeared within the gate. “This portal will take us to my office.” He said. “You seem to know much, but I will give you my best appraisal of the situation anyway, in case you are not fully familiar.”
Ichiro nodded, then stepped through the gate. There was a wrenching sensation, and then he found himself in an office, behind a desk covered in paperwork. Brom stepped through moments later, and motioned for Ichiro to bring over a chair form the side of the room. Once Ichiro had moved a chair to the front of the desk, Brom sat behind the desk and began to speak. “Why did you choose this country, despite my warnings?” He said. “I’m afraid you’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Ichiro frowned. “Because this country was where your Hero was raised. I wish to gather information on her situation, so this seemed like the best move.”
“A fair assumption, I suppose.” Brom said. “Still, there are powers at play that I am unable to tell you about. This country may well be the most dangerous place for you on this world, but I will do what I can to protect you.”
“Does this have to do with this “swarm” thing?” Ichiro asked, carefully watching Brom’s expression.
Brom’s eyes went wide. “I am unable to say, but I am surprised you know that name.”
“A term of your treaty, then? An Oath made under the Goddess of Law that binds you to silence?”
“I wish I could say.” Brom said. “But you are of keen mind; think what you will.”
Yes, definitely part of this treaty, then. “Please, tell me everything you can about the Hero, and about this swarm.” Ichiro said. “I want to help.”
Brom gave him a tired sort of smile. “Very well, then. I suppose I will just have to trust in your abilities. The situation is …”
“Jerry, why have you done this?” The God of Space, Seth, asked. “This is a disaster waiting to happen! And don’t blame it on Hector, I know he wouldn’t do this!”
Jerry sighed, putting down a tablet he had been working on. “Because, unfortunately, the swarm has great potential.” Jerry said. “If they make it through this trial, then they have proved their worth, and will be allowed to start challenging other planes. While the form Amelia has granted the swarm is…unorthodox, I cannot deny its effectiveness. If the swarm can “punch up” the ladder of our planes, then they will deserve to be our main focus. If they fizzle out, then that is all they will be, and that is enough.”
“But, the planes we’ve worked so hard on…”
“Will change, and, just as Connie has, we will change with them.” Jerry said.
“Even me. You know as well as I that Worship is more effectively gathered when we conform to what the people expect us to be. This is the trade-off we make for choosing to present ourselves as gods; as much as we shape the people, the people can subconsciously shape us. Do you have any attachment to your body? I thought I made all my Higher Beings care not what their physical form is, but if you do, then I will not force you to change.”
“I don’t, it’s just…it feels wrong.” Seth said. “These people are being changed, they’re not the same as they were before, and actively encouraging that feels…bad.”
“I know.” Jerry said. “This is something I’ve agonized over myself, but in the end, I decided that the potential growth it can bring is worth it. Our job is to let our people grow, and sometimes growth is painful.
“In some ways, the society they envision could be called a utopia. No war, no hunger, no inequality. Freedom to pursue arts or scientific endeavors, thanks in no small part to the non-sapient workforce they have.
“You are familiar with the trolley problem, yes? Our situation is much the same; the trolley that is life barrels down the tracks, set to kill ten, but we can flip the switch, and divert it to kill nine. There will be war, there will be hurt feelings and broken hearts, and no one will emerge from this unchanged, but…that is how the world works anyway.”
Jerry sighed yet again. “This is not a decision I am proud of.” He said. “It is not one I would parade about, nor one I can even fully claim is moral. Many would argue that the ends do not justify the means, and they would be within their rights to do so. But, as Administrator of these planes, I cannot ignore the potential benefits. Some will suffer now, but we cannot make everyone happy, and, should the swarm’s management maintain their lofty ideals, I believe many more would find their lives improved.
“Should I deem them to be going too far, changing people too much, I will put an end to the swarm myself. Should they prove worthy, I will give them more opportunities.”
“And Ira?” Seth prompted. “Is that not too much?”
“Ira is a special case.” Jerry said. “He is an enemy to the world, one we have told them we wish to see defeated. They have made an effort to not use other sapient life in this conversion, or I would have shut it down then and there. So long as they do not make a habit of this, it is fine.”
“And what of the worlds that aren’t as strong as they are? Will you allow them to be conquered without a fighting chance?”
“No. The experimental planes will remain as they are now, only those I have deemed stable will be included in this exercise. And, once planes have stabilized, I will give them a chance against the swarm, much like I am now giving the swarm a chance against others. We must allow progress a chance, or stagnation will be our ruin.
“The inter-universal peace is a fragile one, kept only by the balance of power between the three factions. And, while our faction is benevolent and would not become tyrannical were we to have the upper hand, I cannot say the same of the others. You were not alive in those days, but they were dark indeed, every moment a struggle for survival. Entire universes were pillaged, their people made slaves. Many other Administrators believe that might makes right, and the only way to open negotiations is to show you have more might than they.”
Jerry took a deep breath. “Our faction is characterized by the kindness of our members, but kindness alone cannot protect those we love. And if I can grow our power and increase the quality of life of our citizens, then…I believe the ends justify the means. And if that means that, for a while, I need to turn a blind eye to the wrongdoings of the swarm, or enable their growth, then I will. The burden of this choice is mine, and if it makes me a sinner, so be it.”
Seth was quiet for a long while. He wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to that; he wholeheartedly thought that what the swarm was doing was wrong, but…perhaps no choice was “right”? Jerry’s arguments had some weight to them, and he had clearly thought about this for a long time. He wasn’t the type of person to make snap judgements or react in the heat of the moment. If he was making this choice, then he truly believed it to be the best one possible.
Even so, that wasn’t enough. “The burden of this is too much for one person.” Seth said. “Will you listen to us if we feel things are getting out of hand?”
Jerry paused, then nodded. “I will, but only if they have worsened from where they are now. After much thought, I have decided that this state of affairs is acceptable, and should be treated as the baseline for the future.”
“Very well, then.” Seth said. “I’ll let the others know, and we won’t take any more of your time unless we feel a line has been crossed.”