SIS B5: Chapter 7: The Emperor's Speech and Unbottled Anger

"Look, Masudu, it's not like I don't understand he didn't mean to do it. We all know that. Who would ever crack the planet apart willingly? Fuck, it's damn near all the news outlets are saying these days - that it was a needed evil to get rid of those brainwashing cultists. Still, you can't deny the bastard up and killed 5,000,000 people and change just to end an, admittedly, pretty fucked-up war," Riley said as she stretched, cracking her back.

Fixing houses wasn't exactly her chosen vocation, but pretty much everyone was doing it, pitching in, offering their help, so it'd be stupid for her not to earn her own keep too despite her misgivings with the new 'Emperor'.

Why the system had decided to promote the guy after perhaps the single largest instance of mass-murder ever recorded and then tell everyone about it like the damned thing was proud of him, she would never understand.

Masuda, her poor English speaking but stupidly handsome work colleague frowned. "It different. He... how you say... unintentional? Hi-hi... hi? High... high ou?"

"Guy's an emperor now, buddy. Didn't you see the notification just before the new empire typing notification?" Riley asked with a short laugh.

"Too many 'r's. Anyway, Teio Crowthorne, he didn't mean death. Truthians, evil. Vile. Godless. No, not godless... hmm... false god?" Shaking his head, the man moved on, "My point, hard to beat, yes? Cancelling system. Little choice. He explained the system agreed... agreed? No. Promised? Yes, promised Earth would be safe. System lied. Teio Crowthorne tried his best."

Riley shrugged. "Doesn't change the fact that 5,000,000 folk who were living just a couple of days ago are now pushing daisies."

Masuda frowned in confusion. "Why push flower? What mean?"

Riley rolled her eyes. "It means they're dea-"

A system notification interrupted her words, demanding her attention more so than the conversation did.

While easy to look at, Madusa was anything but easy to talk to. Why she had started this conversation in the first place still escaped her since she knew he was a huge supporter of the emperor.

Masuda was one step shy of proclaiming love for the guy, she felt. All because he'd seen a news report of how Daz Crowthorne had entered some weird door and saved the life of one of his kinsmen from the jaws of certain death.

[Emperor Daz Crowthorne will be addressing you and the rest of his citizens in exactly 2 minutes. Please make sure you are in a safe area where you can listen to the broadcast. Do note, it is mandatory to listen to it if doing so will not endanger your life. Watching is optional.]

"Huh. Not just gonna give the news stations more shit to feed to us in turn? Coming straight from the horse's mouth this time?" Riley chuckled a bit.

"Teio Crowthorne not a horse. Wiley make no sense sometimes," Masuda exclaimed with a sigh.

"You not understanding English phrases or the entire concert of sarcasm is far more of an issue here, pal," Riley shot back. "I also hate how you fuck up my name every damned time you say it."

She got herself conformable and prepared herself for whatever bullshit speech was about to be thrown her way.

Masuda shrugged. "I try, is hard."

Riley chuckled as she retreated into her mind. She didn't hate New Earth. She didn't even hate Daz Crowthorne even if she liked to note his failings at every possible opportunity.

There were whispers going around in some of the circles she was a member of that a few powerful people were considering deposing of the man.

She thought that was a bit... extreme. He seemed to always want to do right by his people. 'Then again, he did just literally crack the planet like a fucking egg on top of killing 5,000,000 people, accidentally or not.'

Riley hadn't lost anyone to the new splits that had formed from the emperor's battle with Mother Danielle in her mythical city, but thousands, tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of his citizens, had.

'He rules with an iron fist, yeah, but you can't say he isn't an honest cunt. Still a cunt, but he's genuine and I don't exactly see any oppression. That, or he is easily the single most manipulative motherfucker to have ever walked the face of the planet. Still, no one's making us fix these houses. We're doing it on our own and we're even getting paid for it. Crows ain't exactly merit points, but we're also getting those from the daily quests the system is throwing at us,' she thought.

She was sucked out of her mind by the emperor's face appearing in front of her in all of its holographic majesty.

From the glazed look she could see in Masuda's eyes, he was also seeing the same thing.

"Hello everyone. First I'll say that I'm sorry for forcing this communication on you all. I would have preferred not to do so, but considering what I'm about to buy, I deemed it as necessary. I will try to keep this short and informative, however," the emperor declared.

'It is weird I'm a bit turned on by how cold he is? Doesn't help that he's kinda hot. Not in a model way or anything. More like that brooding guy who stays late at the office every night but if you just look at him for a bit, you'll see under his baggy eyes and cheap suit that he's super good-looking and secretly jacked... damn his eyes look like they could see through your soul. He is a reaper though, isn't he? Spooky and sexy,' Riley joked internally.

It wasn't like she would ever try anything though. She still thought he was a bit of a cunt. A lot of guys attracted her even if they were a bit messed up. Masuda being one, the emperor getting added to that list didn't mean much.

Hell, she kinda had the hots for the lonely-looking general guy that supposedly used to be married to the hooch before the emperor had forced him back onto the straight and narrow. 'What was his name? Graham? George? Greg? Something beginning with 'g'.'

"To condense this as much as I can," Emperor Crowthorne started, "I am about to repair every single building in my territories. Whether they be in New Earth, Taiwan, United Korea, or even Atlantis. Sadly, only homes will be getting restored and no buildings with special functionality. The state of disrepair doesn't matter much. It could be some chipped paint, or the building could be entirely levelled - the system will fix them."

That was great news. Riley lived in Fort Home so while the cracks hadn't ravished the city quite like they had elsewhere, the assault of the Truthians sure did. Her house had been wrecked in that battle and still hadn't been fully restored yet.

"This also means that a good portion of Las Vegas and Incheon will be restored, making those cities livable again. I don't know much about the situation in the Federation of Hope quite yet, but for those living there, any major settlements or cities that were ruined in your own war against the Truthians will also be restored," the emperor claimed.

Riley snorted. 'Barely under his rule for a few days and already benefitting.'

She would be lying if she didn't feel a bit of national pride at that thought. Sure, they had a potentially psychopathic ruler, but damn if he didn't try his best to look out for his own.

"It's only my status as emperor that will allow this. I had dabbled a little bit into the field of restorative efforts via the system when I was a high king, but compared to what I can do now, well, it's like night and day. Though it hardly makes up for the consequences of my actions. Over 5,000,000 dead and much more infrastructure ruined beyond compare." There was a deep, powerful, and almost majestic, sadness radiating from both the man's projected voice and his holographic image.

"You wouldn't think he's only 21 when you see him like this," Riley mumbled.

Masuda nodded mutely in response.

"No doubt, me repairing every single home in all of my territories will create some new problems of their own. What of the people whose homes lie at the bottom of the new ravines? What of the people who will be put out of a job since we only need so many hands to focus on the other buildings when the houses have been restored?" he asked rhetorically.

Those were good points that Riley actually hadn't thought of until the emperor just mentioned them. 'My weapon's a nail. There's little good I can do outside of construction work, really. Then again, I doubt I won't get taken on to either help rebuild the public buildings and shops or to help raise new ones.'

"Also, I would like to address the rising anger of the people towards me. Those who hate me, hate me. Those who don't want to forgive me, don't forgive me. Those who support me and understand, thank you. I will do everything in my power as the ruler of this empire to set things right. We paid a price to guarantee our planet would be free of the influence of Aren - the supposed god the Truthians worshipped. The price wasn't worth it but we're still left here to pay the bill, aren't we?" The smile he added at the end of his question sent shivers racing up and down Riley's spine.

It was as if that smile alone had spoken a thousand words. There was so much she couldn't even think to infer from the gesture, so complex and full of emotions it was.

"I'll be making a few more changes to the empire as a whole today but this will be the only empire-wide broadcast. Again, I apologise if I stopped you from doing something important. The weight of 5,000,000 souls is difficult to bear. Know that you don't bear them alone. I'm rambling at this point. I'll end the broadcast. Stay safe everyone and remember, if you have any issues with me, I understand, just keep those issues with me. I will meet any aggression towards anything but myself with unsurpassable destructive force. You may think yourself justified, hell, you may actually be in the right in some regards, but don't do anything that will only lead to even more needless deaths. Goodbye, my people," Emperor Crowthorne concluded with a nod of his head.

The broadcast then ended and his holographic face shimmered out of existence.

Riley could see that Masuda damn-near had stars in his eyes, so impressed was he with their ruler's speech.

She, on the other hand, was scared shitless. 'Didn't he just basically say that any group that tried to mount a coup will be massacred? How the fuck does a guy barely in his twenties get so jaded?'

It was a very relevant question though one that likely had no answer. At least not one that was available to the public.

***

Daz slumped into his throne as he cracked his neck a bit. "I guess now we wait to see if that increased or decreased public opinion of me and my rule."

Crosius nodded very enthusiastically. "I, for one, was very inspired. I think you did incredibly."

"Of course you would say that. You have no stake in this beyond my continued rule, and my power guarantees I'll remain on the throne. At least until the trials on Earth conclude," Daz said as a wave of repressed anger overcame him.

Something about the way Crosius has spoken to him just now came across as patronising to him. It reminded him a bit of his father's 'pride' for him.

Letting this anger guide him, Daz spoke with a cruel coldness edging his words, "It's not like you just lost a brother, a father, a sister, a mother, a daughter or son, or perhaps all of the above. You certainly didn't lose millions upon millions of your future and existing citizens. People you had pledged you would protect from outside threats only to end up being the cause of their deaths yourself."

Crosius's expression fell and he panicked a little. "My Liege! I never meant it like t-"

Daz held up a hand to interrupt the man. "I know. I'm just doing something supposedly rather common but that is alien to me - venting. It isn't easy to take stock of your plate, let alone even try to eat anything on it when you've piled up a mountain instead of a meal."

"I... understand, My Liege. I do live to serve, after all. I try my best to lighten your burden as much as I can. Loath am I to admit it, but Middleton tries his best and is incredibly efficient as well," the old man confessed.

That earned a smiled from Daz. "I'm glad to hear it. Sorry for my outburst. Thank you for enduring it. It helped clear my mind a little."

[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 13%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 14%.]
[Ember of Love [Entry-level (initial mastery)] has increased to 15%.]

'Interesting. I didn't think love, of all my Embers, would profit from me uncorking the bottle that contains my emotions a little bit. I should do that more often. Of course, in a controlled environment and with only a very select group of people present,' Daz thought.

Meanwhile, Crosius has nodded to him and returned to his work. Seeing that, Daz confirmed his purchase of the Full Housing Restoration.

[The empire points of the host's empire [N/A] have changed from [97,432,875] to [72,432,875].]

[Warning! 23,365 citizens of the host's empire are currently within the boundaries of what will be restored. These citizens are at risk of bodily harm or even death if they remain where they are. Would the host like to spend 10 empire points per citizen to teleport them to safety?]

Daz frowned. 'That's annoying. You'd think everyone would know to vacate the area. Then again, the system could be overreacting and could be getting set off by people in homes with dodgy drywall or cracked windows.'

Still, it was an inexpensive measure to take so take it he did. 'Yes, teleport them to safety and give them a notification saying why they were teleported.'

[Confirmed. The empire points of the host's empire [N/A] have changed from [72,432,875] to [72,199,225].]

It was then that all of New Earth, Taiwan, United Korea, two of Daz's mythical cities, and the snowglobe nestled in the town square of Fort Sky, all glowed with a powerful white sheen.

The land roared and rumbled. Rubble and debris vanished. Homes everywhere were restored, made whole again once more.

Despite a lot of misgivings towards their emperor, people everywhere in the empire cheered at such a miraculous thing having occurred at Daz's command.

***

A/N: Likely the last Side POV for a while. At least, last one that's so long and definitely last one from an unknown character for some time. Just thought I'd say that if you don't like those much even if they centre around Daz himself.