Chapter 357 - Embers and Ashes

Note : I know, right ? I actually had it partially completed and barely had the time to finish it. This will be the end of this streak however, a nice little start to book 10 of The Fallen World ! I hope you'll enjoy it ^^

Chapter 357

Red Sands Desert, Archduchy of Rebirth

Dungeon Factory, Command Center

"Wonderful, you're here!" Said Ghost as Alexandra stepped into the command center. "We've just confirmed that the UDC's fleet took advantage of the chaos to fall back. We can pursue, but...uh..." The apparrition swallowed as she saw the dungeon core's face. "Are you okay?"

"We need to talk." Said Alexandra as she plunged into their simulation, taking Ghost with her.

"Okay, wha-" The apparition blinked as Alexandra pushed the record of her conversation with Emilia into her mind. That every magical contract, oath of loyalty, slave brand...everything, was gone. "Oh."

"Yeah. Drop everything, I need you to check our command and control links immediately. AIs first, then golems. Prioritize internal security systems. Consider anyone and anything that hasn't been checked unreliable. Understood?"

"Five out of five." Ghost saluted, almost automatically. "I'll start with Seraph, they still control most of our dungeon forces and we have a direct line to their kernel and inner core programs."

"Good. In the meantime I'll try to keep everything running." Alexandra sighed. "I don't know if this even affects us, but...better be safe than sorry."

"Yeah. I'll double check the control programs as well. If they failed..." They both winced simultaneously.

"If they have, the God of Fire will start bombing. Let's hope not, but either way they'll most likely do an audit of their systems, because they probably don't know either. Make sure they don't find anything wrong with us, alright?"

"Roger that."

"Good. Now let's pretend this never happened, and get on with dealing with the aftermath of this mess."

*****

"Today is...unprecedented." Said Allya before the assembly.

The Asarian Kingdom had always had an assembly of nobles. The names varied on who you asked, but it had for a millenia ensured the nation had some form of coherence, and lended legitimacy to the crown and its actions. It had not come together since the start of the civil war, since their majesties had rallied those whom remained loyals...and failed to sway the scores that had decided to remain neutral.

Once, a newly minted baroness named Allya Aubétoile had sighed in relief when her domain had been elevated to a Frontier Principality and she had been excluded from the assembly and its machinations.

Now...she was presiding over it. No one had even suggested she do otherwise, nor been insane enough to bring their names forward for the honor.

Before her were rows upon rows of holographic windows or simple static images and name tags, transmitted from communication crystals or magical mirrors in all corners of the Kingdom.

"The rebellion of Sunrise is no more." Continued the Archduchess. "Not through our action, but through a cataclysmic event. An even that has changed...everything we thought we knew." She began to pace, everyone's eyes following her. "The duchess is no more. Her army is no more. What little remains of our foe is fortresses, besieged by legions of slaves screaming for their blood...or the handful of dominions that had none to begin with. All else is burning or being torn asunder. There is but one question: what shall we do?"

She ran her gaze over the assembly, like a commander reviewing an army. They were hanging off of her every word, and it was almost...intoxicating. What she was going to say would set into motion policies, armies and governments. Her next few words would decide the fates of half a billion people, and eventually that of the whole continent.

She hadn't felt that way...ever. She took a slight breath, steadying herself. Later. Those feelings could wait until later.

"Our policy shall be simple." She said, not missing a beat, despite her thoughts. "It shall be direct, and above all else it shall be just. As of right now, slavery is outlawed, by royal decree. All who restrict the freedom of someone else while not under the authority of a court will die." A shiver went through the whole room, as she continued. In three sentences, she'd just overturned millenia of precedent, and upended the entire eastern Kingdom's traditional economic model.

More importantly, she hadn't promised consequences. She'd promised death, period.

Today was the dawn of a new era. A nouvelle aurore, in her and Alexandra's ancestral French.

"The slaves have rebelled. Many are, rightfully, furious against the crown. Nevertheless, it will be our policy that all rebel territories are part of the Kingdom and will remain so, even if they have to be reincorporated by force. As of today, all of Sunrise's territories are considered under martial law. All titles of nobility belonging to rebel lords are null and void. These lands are now freeholds, governed and policed by their people as they saw fit."

She saw a shockwave go through the room this time. She'd just declared that a fourth of the entire kingdom was now de facto without a nobility and free to do as it pleased. Then she saw it dawn on some of the quicker nobles.

That's right. Martial law. Meaning that freehold or not, whoever holds the army de facto rules.

And the only army in the field is mine.

The assembly slowly went quiet as people realized what was happening and stopped whispering. Many had gone completely white.

"I know what many of you are thinking." Said Allya, as she went behind her chair, and leaned against it. "The word 'coup' hangs heavy in the air, doesn't it?"

There was a chorus of astonished and even strangled gasps.

"Let me reassure you." Said the archduchess as she straightened up and began pacing again. "This is not one. It is, however, an acknowledgment of new realities. The rebellion is no more. Not as an organized force on any scale likely to pose a threat. The slaves are in full revolt. As we speak, everything east of Kaidan burns." Well, almost everything. There were a few places that didn't have slaves, for a variety of reasons, and were now desperately begging for help. "As far as we are aware, the duchies of Sunrise and Lorenz, as well as their vassals, functionally no longer exist. There are survivors, of course, but they are scattered. Civil administration, security forces...everything from the tax office to the city guards have been annihilated. And we are in no position to put into place our own people to administer those regions." Not with something that wouldn't cause another civil war anyway. The slaves wouldn't accept another nobility, even if it was drawn from their own ranks. "Thus, we must acknowledge that, for now, they are governing themselves. However, they remain part of the kingdom, and our army will proceed east immediately, to bring an end to the chaos. It is the only force capable of doing so."

In that some of the freed slaves might attack royal troops. But Alexandra's? They wouldn't even dream of it. She was seen as their savior, even if she hadn't struck the final blow. And anything accompanied by the dungeon core's army would be protected by her aura, at least to some extent.

"All of these factors, put together, means that our previous peace plan is no longer workable. Their majesties are well aware of that. We are working on a new solution, of course, but in the meantime, this is the only viable stopgap measure. And it is vital that it is put into place as quickly as possible." So that Rook's mad stunt, for it had to be him, didn't cause the east to try and seccede. That...wouldn't end well. "As such, a list of military governors have been prepared for the rebel provinces, who will then proceed to serve as an interface between our forces and the local population, in view of establishing a more permanent administration. It will be forwarded to you, but key among them is the new Knight-Governor of the eastern provinces, Philia Elcanor."

The murmurs picked back up again. Philia's loyalty to their majesties was unquestionable. It was, among many other, one of the reasons she'd been sent down to Rebirth after all.

The fact that the Knight-Commander, well, former Knight-Commander was a close associate of her archduchy wouldn't go unnoticed. And reinforce the fact that she rewarded those that worked with her, even if their ultimate loyalty wasn't to her.

After all, she'd just made the knight the sixth most powerful person in the kingdom, right below her, Pyn, Alex and their majesties, the order varying depending on whom you asked.

It should put some minds at ease.

For now, at least.

Truth be told, she didn't care the slightest bit about Sunrise. It wasn't entirely worthless, at least not now that she didn't have to blast it into oblivion to take it, but she was after much bigger game.

Why spent political and diplomatic capital taking a duchy when she could make the entire continent bend the knee?

"Your Grace." Said one of the nobles. "What of the noble houses of Sunrise? I mean not their domains, but the people?"

"Those that remain will be processed as prisonners of war. We are looking to hammer out a formal surrender agreement so they may lay down their arms and be taken into custody by royal forces." Those that didn't have arms to lay down were very, very dead by now. If not worse. The 'worse' part worried her, honestly, and the same for Alexandra. Actually, it especially worried Alexandra. The former assassin was no stranger to cruelty after all. What scared her was that Alexandra's reaction seemed to indicate she wasn't either. That the dungeon core was afraid of what she herself might unleash. "But make no mistake, it will be a surrender, and it de facto will include the relinquishing of their lands and titles, and bar any special agreements no immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during the war will be offered."

A few of the nobles were looking grim, or about to protest, but none of them spoke up. Most of them were from Kaidan or Molro, and no doubt felt that it was...lenient, and would rather have them be torn apart by those they'd enslaved. But her reputation, which over the months had gone from fearsome to something she didn't have a proper description for, ensured they wouldn't dare speak up.

Besides which...it was relatively fair. Not just, perhaps, but at a point one had to put a stop to the violence, and people had to be judged by tribunals, not lynch mobs baying for blood, however justified their grievances may be.

"What of the Sapphirian incursions?" Asked another noble. "They have not stopped. Several frontier villages such as Timberfish are under their occupation, and they do not seem set on leaving."

Allya bared her teeth.

"They will be given a chance to withdraw in good order, so long as no exactions were committed. Otherwise...well, they can learn the same lesson the rebels did. You can fight us, or you can go home alive, you won't be able to do both."

She saw the shiver of fear ripple through the assembly, and she continued.

"Our forces may have been diminished in recent battles, but they are still well capable of combat. If need be, our army will wheel North. Our first order of business is bringing peace to their majesties' desmene, but that also means retaking every single square meter of land belonging to the Kingdom."

"What if it comes to a fight? Can we...afford another war?" Said the noble.

"Baron Monvol." Said Allya as she read his name tag. "Had the council of archmages believed itself capable of conquering the Kingdom, they would have marched the entire Sapphirian army through the border already. It is they who cannot afford this conflict. But our people have suffered enough, thus I will spare them more conflict if I can. And Sunrise did visit many atrocities upon the people of the Sapphire Kingdom, hence why I am sympathetic to their own military operations in the east. I also understand many slaves taken from their land may wish to return to their homes, and that will be arranged as well. If possible, I would like this to be done in partnership with the Sapphirian army and not despite them."

Besides, they were going to need every scrap of goodwill to march on Tivaro and take out, or at least contain, the dungeon there. That, or at least have the conflict be directly linked to the UDC one, which would not have popular support within the Sapphire Kingdom, especially if they returned the slaves. An outcome both her and Alex were fine with as it would cause the council of archmages to effectively self destruct.

"Any other questions?" No one spoke, and she nodded. "Very well then. I hereby declare this session of the Assembly of Nobles of the Asarian Kingdom closed. Return to your domains and retainers my lords and ladies, for there is much to be done. Glory to Asaria!"

"Glory to Asaria!" Rumbled the assembly, nobles noting her particular choice of ending oath with interest.

It was, as with everything that was happen, a signal in its own right.

There could be no doubt. Allya didn't want to be the rallying flag of another civil war. Better to make it clear from the get go.

It would avoid having to make some heads fall to drive the point through later, when she had bigger fishes to fry.