The Systemic Lands
Chapter 383: Day 802 – Discussing Political Realities

“So, what exactly are your boarders?” I asked Cai Fan the Protector. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFire(.)nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“All the level 3 zones, around this city. Those are the official boarders in the past. But the West portion has been in contention for a while and we aren’t fully grinding level 3 zones yet. You are collecting skill points?” he asked.

“Yes. I was looking to upgrade some of my skills,” I replied and he nodded.

“Well we aren’t clearing the dungeons in level 3 zones. Level 4 monsters are too much of a risk. I will have word sent you can take them with out issue,” he replied.

“What, that easily?” I asked surprised. I had thought he would demand stuff from me.

“You were thinking I would demand stuff from you. I find gratitude and working with others to be more productive. While I do not plan to go out and fight the Divine Empress myself at this time, giving you this small bit of aid for something we aren’t even using is easy to do,” he replied.

I was honestly having a hard time understanding the Protector. He smiled at me slightly as I tried to come to grips with my thoughts. We had been talking late into the night, but it was so rare to meet a peer that wasn’t crazy and polite in the Systemic Lands.

His mindset was one I would never adopt, but it was one I could appreciate. It was honestly a bit humbling to meet someone who wasn’t a schemer. I had built up an image in my mind that this entire city would be some kind of cultist hell with traps and other craziness.

Instead, there was a somewhat powerful man who was very reasonable. If it weren’t for my stats I would have assumed he was using some kind of mental manipulation on me. But it appeared I had met genuinely nice guy.

Now I was really curious and since we were getting along, I felt I could ask him. “How do you handle people? There must be population and food issues?” I asked.

“Indeed, it is not easy. That is why I have a congress. Each zone that is being cleared of monsters elects one representative and they vote on a President who manages the affairs of the city. The votes of the representatives are proportional to the zone level.”

“But wouldn’t that bring the people of the city into conflict, since they would demand assistance and food?” I asked.

“Indeed, but the President manages the city and collects a tax. A portion goes to city upgrades. A portion to myself. And a portion to craftspeople in the city. The people are sent to the level 1 zones for twenty days, and then they are kicked out of the city.”

“It pains me that many do die in the wilderness. But it is the only path of stability we have been able to manage.”

“Huh, that is honestly a bit surprising,” I said and he inclined his head for me to continue. “My Chief Administrator implemented a similar system, but no Congress. And no defense budget for me either. Everything was going into the city. Now the war effort.”

“I had considered social programs at the start of my rule and even a dictatorship. To ensure my vision came to pass. But I realized that it would only lead to hardship and suffering. People who work and contribute deserve a voice. My hope is to slowly expand to level 4 zones where other cities don’t control.”

He was clever and I could see him being a threat in the future. He was playing the long game. Choosing his title as the Protector and not leaving the city. His manipulation while rooted in kindness of spirit and discussion was quite insidious.

The Protector was like an infection. At first you weren’t concerned, but it got worse. But you didn’t bother dealing with it since you had a gun shot wound. But the infection would spread. By the time you realized what was happening it would be too late.

I had been dismissing him as a contender this entire conversation, but he let the barest fraction of his future plans slip. Grinding level 4 zones would eventually bring him into contention with other cities. He would speak kindly and come up with a reasonable compromise.

But that was hiding his plan. He had even said he would submit to me if I won. He was pre-surrendering the bastard. Why wouldn’t I just kill him and take over the city when I won? He was planning to land gently no matter what happened.

I had no doubt he would argue his city would integrate into my future empire, but he wasn’t doing it now. He was preparing for an eventuality while making himself appear as reasonably as possible. His strength would accumulate and if I died, he would step right into my shoes.

Entering the city, it was clearly well run. His government, even if it was convoluted and stupid in my opinion, made him appear as a servant, or Protector of the people. They would willingly work for him. It was a better solution than the tribes of the evil empire to be sure.

He was building himself a cult of personality. I knew Clarissa was doing the same for me and the rumors did the rest. The Protector was what he appeared to be, but he was not an idiot or foolish. You don’t become as powerful as he is without breaking open a few skulls.

But between the powerful he was still someone I considered a peer. It was hard to say if I should kill him right now, but he would never directly target me. If I pushed hard on his little fiefdom like the Divine Empress had, he would surely fund an insurgency or opponent to take me down.

It was hard to say. But out of everyone who was running a nation, he was the only person who was playing the game of geo-politics and not personal politics as weird as that sounded.

“You are quite crafty Cai Fan,” I said to see his reaction. He inclined his head slightly at that.

“I find that talking is far superior to violence, but I am no stranger to violence, even if I prefer to talk,” he said.

“Your mastery of English is impressive, despite what you said earlier.”

“I try. Everyone knows some English as much as it pains me to say that. It is a language the unites the humans of Earth,” he replied.

“You have been clearly thinking about this place. Have you found any clues? I know that the Almighty System has an intelligence, but that is it?” I asked.

“That much is true based on meta-points.” He knew about them, but did he have one? “I don’t have one.”

“Telling me so easily?” I asked. He could be lying, but if he was he would have asked for something like knowledge or to use one as a trump card.

“I would have asked the purpose behind this place if one came to me. Why make people suffer like this? Even if everyone worked together in harmony, the deaths would be horrendous and it will only get worse with more arrivals and their age.”

“What do you mean their age?” I asked and he looked at me with a bit of surprise.

“You didn’t notice? I apologize for assuming, but you have a level 4 city right?” he asked me.

“Yes. But it was destroyed when the Divine Empress attacked. I haven’t stuck around in the other one we have.” What was going on that Clarissa didn’t tell me or didn’t think was worthwhile?

“The age range for arrivals expanded when a city upgraded from level 3 to level 4. How else do you think someone as old as the Divine Empress showed up?” I hadn’t really thought about that. “Before the age range was around 16 to 70. Now it increased from 12 to 80. I have heard rumors that the Forbidden City, a level 5 city brings in people ranging from age 6 to age 90. But there is no good way to confirm.”

“That is horrifying.” I said and thought about the implications. Clarissa was using these people for hybridization from Neo Brasilia. I didn’t want to think about that.

“Their numbers are small, and restorations fix any issues older people might have. But it is hard for them to adapt to this environment. What happens when we get children as young as 6 years old? It is one of the most controversial topics when discussing if we should even upgrade the city in the future and if Earth is still out there. Are we saving them or dooming them? I would here your thoughts on this matter.”

I sipped my juice as I thought about this. It was not an easy question. But in the end, there was only one answer. “I do not like hurting children, since they rarely have a choice in the matter or in their situation. But the cities must be upgraded to find out what is at the end of it all,” I replied. “Also, there might be something that helps the population crisis once a city levels up even more.”

“I see. Thank you for sharing. It is something that has been discussed endlessly. Before the Divine Empress arrived, it was the most heated point. Now there is pressure to act. I would like to make a request of you Champion Michael.”

“I will hear your request but no promises,” I replied. Since he was being polite, I would be polite in turn.

“Several of my people wish to strike back at the Divine Empress and the Dragon Empire. I would have you escort a group of them to your forces in order to aid them. The requirement I have in mind is being able to fight in a level 3 zone and kill a level 3 monster.”

“How many are we talking?” I asked.

“About thirty,” the Protector replied. He was consolidating his political power. That talk about a Congress and President while true meant nothing. He was the one with real power. That was why we were talking and I wasn’t speaking to his Clarissa.

It was a bold move. Those people might help grind a bit, but he clearly valued unity through cooperation. Also, if they came back, people would praise his assistance and also my people would praise him for sending help and making a visible contribution.

The Protector was a man with great cunning and long term vision. By sitting back and doing nothing, he was clearly hoping other people would kill themselves and he would emerge victorious by the art of just sitting on the sidelines.

There would only be one person left alive, since I didn’t see mutually assured destruction happening easily. He couldn’t deal with the Divine Empress, since she just wrecked his city and killed his people. The Avatar was the most untrustworthy person to ever breathe and was nakedly scheming. Also trusting someone that was spying on you all the time was impossible.

Normandy and the Astrologer were off the board at the moment. The former having been wiped out and the remnants joining the Avatar while the later was trapped and unable to act. That just left me. He was betting on me to win and then hoping I would die and he would step into my place. This supposed gift would be to spread the word of his existence in my forces and create a combat capable force that knew my empire’s tactics.

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