The Harvester

Chapter 402: Myth Council III

"Please make yourselves comfortable," Azheim addressed everyone.

'…really?' Rakna blankly thought as most of the attendants promptly sat on the grass without even bothering to make themselves a seat, and even Enya dispelled her own for some reason and joined the rest. The therian glanced at his group and they shrugged at him.

"It has always been this way," Fiora smiled at him. "It's a fair arrangement that puts everybody on the same level. I've been told by the previous Mediator of the Council that it placates these 'unruly children' quite well with its peaceful atmosphere."

Azheim smiled upon hearing that. "My predecessor is indeed the kind of person to say that."

Rakna huffed and sat down with his companions as well. It's not like he cared either way.

"Now then, let's do a roll call. Some people here may appreciate an introduction," Azheim said with a smile. "Starting with the side of us Locals," he waved at Hybran and the elven man with white hair. "Hybran Blacksteel and Sariel Hestdrom, Mayors of Black Steel and Shattered Paradise, cities of the 1st and 750th Plateau as you must already know."

He then gestured toward the cow-boy-like man. "Coal Tibran, owner of the fields of Atlantis, Old Eden, and of several more Plateaus," he explained and the man in question nodded in greeting, mostly toward Rakna since everyone knew who these introductions were for.

⠀

"Jory Vikel." The next name was voiced and the middle-aged man with a robust physique grunted to identify himself. "Master of the Crafting Guild, as well as the primary supplier of the Pavilion."

⠀

"Gaelius Eldron." The old scientist waved with a small smile. "Leading Alchemist and researcher of the Eldron family, and more recently, co-founder of Harvest."

⠀

"And the last of the Locals present," Azheim waved at the female cultivator. "Qing Yue. Protector of the Vision Sect, and our strongest Soul Practitioner."

On cue, Qing Yue exchanged glances with Rakna as a fellow cultivator of the soul. On sight, both of them knew where each other stood. The former possessed Qi inside her body, cultivated to heights that could barely be fathomed by most, but the therian, on the other hand, had parallelly reached soul power beyond her reach.

"From the side of the Wilden," Azheim immediately continued as to not waste time. He pointed at the two creatures quietly sitting together: the cloaked being and the tiny dragon. "Koden, Creator of the Undead Legion in the 125th Plateau, and Lich King." 

The undead hiding his appearance nodded in return.

"Karvienth." The small dragon's tails wagged. "Raid Boss of the 720th Plateau, and Dragon King."

At the mention of his name, Karvienth chuckled with a voice pitched up by his size but still carrying a resonance only found in creatures of old wisdom. "Nice to meet you," he spoke and directly eyed the therian. "Before Azheim continues, I'd like to clarify this; several Wilden have refrained from being present today because of you."

Rakna raised an eyebrow at that.

"Please excuse them. Most of them aren't willing to try their chance at overpowering the coercion of an Emperor whose reign encompasses all beasts," the dragon expounded. "For now, they seem to be content observing this meeting instead of participating."

"…I see," the therian replied, not really knowing what to say to that. Though, he supposed knowing that the missing members of the Council still had the option of observing the meeting was a useful piece of information he didn't have.

"That's all from me," Karvienth smiled. "You can resume."

Azheim nodded slowly and turned toward Fiora who had a neutral smile on her face. "Last of the only three Wilden present today; Fiora Leonhart. Qilin of Tribulation, Guardian and Founder of the Basilica of Eternal Night."

"And finally, from the Hosts' side," the mediator faced the biggest group. "I shall be brief. Starting from the Top 10 Hosts, whose Rank alone grants them a place here."

"Cain Unsworth, and his Pact, The Goddess of Steel, Kamiria Vistevia." The kind-looking young man and the tsundere, labeled so by Rakna, mutely answered the call.

⠀

"Ensis Credo Gen, Leader of the Throne of Glory." The muscular and scarred elderly man, whom Rakna assumed the name referred to, maintained his eyes closed instead of answering the call. At the very least, the therian now had the confirmation that this man was indeed his Guild Leader.

⠀

"Kryas Io Fascio. Pavilion Owner, as you all know," Azheim said with an exasperated look, with the man he was trying to introduce looking like he was about to fall asleep. You wouldn't be able to tell that he was one of the most influential members of the Council by just looking at him.

⠀

"Lux Malach Strada." The fallen angel beside Ensis expressionlessly saluted with two fingers. "Also affiliated to Throne of Glory. Known as Nemesis."

⠀

"Enya Fendyrlen, Monarch of Sorcery and Master of The Wiccan Guild."

"Zialtra Lanfor, Hunting Queen, and Owner of Trafford."

"Merlina Llawen, Knight of Spring, once again affiliated to Throne of Glory."

⠀

"Alcina Kazakiri Doren, Matriarch of the Yōkai Clan, and The Purple Oni." The petite girl smirked at Rakna with a worryingly roguish gaze.

⠀

"Isael 'Arthur' Pario. The Church's Holy Knight and Excalibur's Chosen One," Azheim concluded the listing. "That is all for the Top Hosts. I am sure you understand that the absence of the White Scorpion was to be expected," he said and nobody even bothered to comment on it.

"On the last stretch," he continued. "We have His Holiness, Ulquiel Pario, leading the Church as the human most blessed by God," he introduced and the boy's nose seemed to grow longer somehow, his lips stretching into a smug smile.

"Ugh, get that disgusting face out of my sight," Alicia groaned.

"Hmph, how could you understand my splendor?"

"Tch, why is a foul man like you even the Pope? Yahweh must be senile."

Azheim cleared his throat and ignored them. "From the Basilica again; Wielder of the Pure Eternal Night and Archbishop, Lacros Hortensia."

⠀

"Shark King, Cura Arlan. And his Soul Pact, King Gulon." 

⠀

"From the Nine-Tailed Clan; Karyu Yahkshasa and Ghura Matuc. Grand Patriarchs and respectively the Fox and Tiger Kings."

⠀

"Ratten Gostel," Azheim nodded toward the well-dressed goblin. "Goblin King, Mayor of the Casino City in the 400th Plateau by right of ownership. As well as the owner of the Hosts' Merchant Guild."

⠀

"Orion, the last living member of the Cintva species, and Machine Emperor."

"Lanata Ovis Venera, Sheep Empress."

⠀

"And lastly, our newest member," the mediator smiled. "Rakna Xiorra Blade, the second Host in the history of the System to receive the title of 'Legendary' as well as the Wolf and Beast Emperor."

At that moment, as if they had collectively agreed to it, everyone turned toward him, some flashing smiles and grins at him. Others had indifferent expressions and Ensis opened one eye.

"And you bring with you unprecedented guests," Azheim added somewhat wryly, and at his words, a few people seemingly noticed the 'anomalies' as well. Even Lanata to some extent was a surprise since even though she had every right to be here, her infamy and general absence until now made her an abnormal presence. 

"Should I even ask how? Or at least who?"

Rakna blankly glanced at his three companions. His eyes lingered over Hans and turned away with a shrug, giving up on trying to find a defense for him. As for Ceresta and Astraea… he blinked and shrugged again, silently staring back at Azheim who immediately sweatdropped.

"Well," Astraea tapped her chin. "You may consider Ceresta and myself … Lord Monarch's brilliant secretaries!" She exclaimed humorously and crafted a pair of glasses with divine power, putting them on as the lenses sparkled.

"Oh," Ceresta's mouth opened slightly, and with a few glances at the angel next to her, she tried her best to imitate her while using her nanites to create glasses.

Rakna had to hold himself from impulsively pampering her.

Hans had an empty expression as he gazed forward, thinking of an answer. "I… am your friendly neighborhood nightmare," and there came out the dry, sarcastic, joking, yet truthful answer. 

 "…" The Council members were nothing short of speechless.

"I'll vouch for them if needed," Zialtra snorted. "Those two girls are harmless and the midget… the idea is not to anger him, I suppose," she said with a smirk and squinted at Hans. "Though I wonder what this 'thing' can do when unleashed. Mind sating my curiosity?"

"Keep your death wishes to yourself," the azure-haired boy retorted with utmost honesty and she couldn't help but chuckle.

Cain, of all people, was the only one to gaze at Hans with a brief solemn expression before a natural smile replaced it, but Kamiria didn't fail to notice either way.

"All right... I understand," Azheim acquiesced without much resistance. "The Council members can bring other people as long as they're bound to themselves… while there seem to be two exceptions here, we'll grant them the same station."

No one had any complaints so he continued. "Let's start with today's meeting. There are important matters to address today, as I'm sure you know already. But, for now, we shall tackle customary administrative concerns."

"Starting with the financial situation of the Four Plateau Cities…"

⠀

* * *

⠀

Hm. Rakna now understood why Arimane always complained to him about the meetings he would participate in for the companies he had managed, as well as the politics of it all.

Honestly, there was nothing he didn't understand. All that economy and laws boiled down to was an understanding of human thoughts as well as memorization. He had the former refined to levels few could reach and the latter was handled by Eye of Symphony better than any organic mind.

But, since he had no stakes in this whole discussion, he was just bored. It was the case for a lot of other members who merely listened. Some were uninterested, while others were impatient, such as Kamiria.

Only the ones controlling markets, politics, or money, like the Mayors, Gaelius, Coal, Jory, Ratten, and to some lesser extent Karyu and Ulquiel, had the incentive to voice their opinions.

'There are probably even fewer people than this in normal times, huh?' The therian thought. 'I don't think the Wilden even need me as a deterrent to skip these meetings...'

"As for the issue of the Striven Family," Azheim introduced a new topic. "Their illegal slave market in Old Eden has been exposed recently. It appears they were affiliated with Kratos and have lost their stable hierarchy, allowing us to find out about the many transactions."

Rakna's ears perked up at that, his interest piqued.

"From our investigation, two Hosts in the Top 100 are involved, and more than a dozen nobles have participated in the acquisition and distribution of slaves," the mediator added. "How should we deal with it? That is a question I would like to extend to all of you."

"Azheim…" Ulquiel spoke up with an angry scowl. "It's your city. You should have already dealt with it yourself. Furthermore, this crime is obviously unforgivable."

"I am aware. But this also extends beyond just my city. I have already put the necessary effort into freezing their activities, but if I act too rashly, the punishment may backfire on innocent citizens when their respective territories collapse." 

Rakna tapped his leg a few times and spoke up for the first time. "Kill them," he uttered without much fanfare and more than a few pairs of eyes focused on him. "Don't walk on eggshells for too long. Better to swipe it all together. Kill the ones involved, seize their belongings, and use them to quell the chaos afterward. Then assign trusted men to fill the holes left behind. If you want to keep order, then just completely replace them, mercilessly. Hesitance is the road to collapse."

Azheim blinked in shock. "That's…"

"It's that, or do nothing," Rakna interrupted him. "In case you forgot, the situation is a bit different from usual. You haven't broached the topic yet, but we have enemies. Don't let them plot for too long with investigations and imprisonment."

The therian glanced at Karyu. "The Scorpions were your best intelligence force, weren't they?"

The Fox Patriarch stiffened. "Indeed…"

"Then they know how to furtively take advantage of things. Don't give them time to plant anything that could help them destroy us. Not to mention, with someone like the White Scorpion around, it is best to get rid of disruptive factors rather than wait for them to join our enemies."

"…"

"And while you're at it, use the occasion to identify accomplices and dissidents," Rakna added with an uncaring tone. "For the most dangerous ones, make up some fake charges and evidence to pin on them and that should do fine. Killing those is not necessary. Depriving them of everything they possess is acceptable enough."

The listeners could only look at what was supposed to be their newest and inexperienced member with strange eyes. They felt like they were facing some kind of bloodthirsty tyrant.

Alcina let out a snicker to break the silence. The girl Oni grinned at the therian. "You sound crueler than even a devil, kid. But I like that," she cackled.

"Wait a minute there," Ulquiel scowled. "While killing all of them is a bit extreme, I can understand your reasoning. But using fake accusations to condemn more will aggravate others, increasing the chances of them switching sides to avoid being treated the same way."

"And what of it?" It was Lux, the fallen angel from Throne of Glory, who retorted. "I agree with the new guy. After getting rid of the most annoying ones, only the insects will be left. Those are easier to monitor and if they do something, we can easily catch them in the act."

"Same here," Alcina crossed her arms.

The young Pope groaned and scratched his head. "Jeez, this is reckless… I agree that this leaves the least loose ends. But it risks creating bigger ones instead."

"The bigger, the easier for us to benefit from," Rakna said calmly and Ulquiel glanced at him before sighing, falling silent. "Incidentally, don't punish them alone. This Council has enough authority to call upon the Adjudicators, right?"

Azheim narrowed his eyes. "We do... To some extent."

"Then make a show out of it. Make it seem like the System itself, not the Council, will not tolerate betrayers. I'm sure many people consider the System and Eva inviolable existences. It'll do fine to create a sense of oppression, reducing the cases of insurgence. Oh, and film both the execution as well as the Adjudicators taking away their power beforehand. Then spread the videos. It'll help."

No one knew what to say to that and Zialtra stared at the therian with a strange look. "How damn brutal can you get? Did you graduate from dictatorship school or what?"

"My uncle was the greatest fearmonger to grace the Earth's surface," Rakna snorted. "You thought I wouldn't learn anything from the man who trained me?"

"Hah, that makes too much sense."

Azheim sighed. "In that case… who votes in favor of the Beast Emperor's idea?" He asked and with expected results, more than three fourth of the members raised their hands. 

Fiora was doing so very enthusiastically. Had the Qilin not even heard a thing, she would still have voted for him anyway, without a doubt. On the other hand, there was also Cain, who seemed to be content listening and also abstained from voting, rather than disagreeing altogether.

"Then, it's settled. I shall make the arrangements after the meeting," the mediator nodded. "Since it was your suggestion, Rakna, do you mind the progress being communicated to you?"

"No problem," the therian replied.

"If required, to smoothen things, I will grant myself the right to request help from those who voted in favor today," Azheim added and received no rebuttals. "Now, onto the next matter. There were concerns conveyed to me very recently about the impact of Harvest."

Rakna tilted his head at the sudden mention of his company.

"From what has been seen, there is potential in your hands for excessive monopoly," Azheim spoke to the therian directly. "I would not humor these types of complaints normally, but they are fairly justified in this case considering the capability of your Eion Alkal and the Transpiths."

"Uh? Is it really that bad?" Lanata raised her voice in confusion. "It just looked awesome to me."

"Have you ever heard the saying that money is spiteful?" Ratten, the goblin businessman, spoke up with a professional tone. "Having too much makes you responsible; not having enough makes you its servant. Yet, its concept represents the key to prosperity. The limited form of currencies is a living being's stake at freedom in a society."

The Goblin King squinted his eyes at Rakna. "Take it away and anarchy unravels. Make it unlimited and the same thing happens. Because in both cases, the leash of freedom is snapped. This applies to more than just money. The products the Beast Emperor wishes to introduce may give so much convenience and power to the masses that it might as well be limitless money. And if there is truth in Harvest's promises of developing synthetic food, then that would make it truly unstoppable."

The sheep girl pursed her lips, not fully grasping his explanation but understanding that someone like the Goblin King, who thrived as the wealthiest individual in the System after Kryas, was more than qualified to have his words taken seriously.

Rakna quietly returned Ratten's gaze. "Low-supply, small-scale donations, auctions, and premium sales. I'll have Kara get the numbers for you if you want. Satisfactory?"

"It's good that you understand," the goblin simply said and fell silent afterward.

"It's settled, Azheim," Rakna told the old mediator, who blinked dazedly.

"Oh, yes… well, then, before we attack the main topic, there is one more affair to resolve," Azheim declared and swiped his hand over what most likely was a System terminal.

⠀

* * *

⠀

At the same time, one of the guarding Adjudicators' eyes flashed outside the Myth Tower. It looked at a certain individual nearby and spoke, [| Descendant Host Entity, Evelyn Jill Malcanthet. Entry Has Been Ordered. |]

⠀

* * *

⠀

On the 500th Plateau, another hulking marble golem spoke to someone leading a larger group of people, [| Host Entity, Makvael Van Jill. Entry Has Been Ordered. |]