Frostbound

Chapter 270 - Prime Minister

I had left our meeting and went straight to speaking with Ashton, but there were things I had to do before I could go off and meet this new Prime Minister. I also considered putting it off until after the 'test' but decided not to. If I survived, I wasn't going to be in the mood to meet anyone, let alone a self declared 'Prime Minister.'

I wasn't even sure how that even worked. Was the man voted in? If he was, how was an election held?

My main thought was about how it would play out into the future. Democracy, as much as it was laudable, didn't really have a place anymore. That wasn't how the world was going to work after the Change.

Forcing that, either because of ideals of general hope, was an effort in futility.

It was bound to fail just as Socialism was bound to fail Before. It was fine on paper or in a vacuum, but when it came time to employ it, things would fall apart. People with powers weren't going to let it, the same way people with money weren't going to give it up.

Levels made the idea of 'equality' moot. It was sad, and not something I liked to think about, but that didn't make it untrue. With tangible power, one person was not equal to another.

Hypothetically, if what this new Prime Minister was doing lasted say... ten years, maybe twenty, if he was lucky, how would someone in the D-rank, or maybe higher, feel about being treated the same as someone in the F-rank?

I for one would detest such a comparison. I already felt pity for them, but the idea we were the same was impossible to comprehend. They were fine, happy even, to languish and relegate themselves to a lower rank while that was unacceptable to me.

It was leaving their safety and well-being in the hands of another willingly.

They weren't standing on the walls during a defense. They weren't charging into a horde of Demons to defend their home.

To say that we were equal? That was fundamentally impossible.

The higher ranks would grow angry and resentful. Once that happened, it was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down if an outside force didn't do it beforehand.

For good or bad, democracy wasn't plausible anymore. Not unless some very specific conditions were met. Like if everyone was at the same rank. A Republic was more likely, but I didn't see that being the main mode of governance.

In my head, and from what any sane mind could extrapolate, feudalism was the way of the world again. That could take many shapes and sizes, from a just lord to an evil one, but that was how this System pushed us to be. The strongest ruled and the rest were either along for the ride, or they could set out to become strong themselves.

The Title being available to pylon owners was only going to be the start. It would begin with Barons and grow to Kings and Emperors.

It was only a matter of time.

There would be a few who fought against it setting up Senates and Republics, there always were, but by and large, Kingdoms and City States were in our future. Maybe a Council or Oligarchy here and there, but I doubted those would be plentiful.

Guilds maybe, if one leaned into fantasy. Mercenary Guilds or Merchant Guilds. Mage Towers too, if one was inclined to found them but those subscribed to the same ideas. One person or a small group with power at the top.

The possibilities were still something I couldn't even guess at. It really depended on the person at the top and what he or she chose to set up.

There were a few reasons that I delayed going with Ashton for introductions straight away. One was to get the things I needed to into motion. Most of the Council was already out explaining our plans and getting people on the right jobs, and I also had to do the same.

Hal already had his Order at work and I needed to fill Elliot in. His Order had more Warriors and many of them would be given the same job as me. Search and bring back any stone they could find.

Another reason to delay was I needed to think about how this meeting would go. I knew, in the end, this meeting could go in a wildly different direction that I couldn't possibly think of ahead of time, but I also didn't want to use that as an excuse to go in blind.

My first question was 'What's his endgame?'

Was he going for a land grab as quickly as he could before transitioning into something more feudal? Get people to fold back into a 'government' entity before using that power to change it into a Kingdom of sorts.

That would be the most obvious play.

There was also the possibility that he truly thought that he could reinstitute a 'New Canada' of sorts. That would make the man terribly naive and downright stupid.

Other than thinking about what his endgame was, the next question was what he hoped to get out of a meeting with me.

Traveling by foot, Fort Hope was over a month away. By wagon and horse, it was roughly two weeks with the new road and chopping down trees in the way. A high-level Wagoneer could cut it down even further, but on average, it took two and a half weeks.

That being said, the distance to wherever this new Capital stood would be measured in months. That was on top of the fact there was a dangerous forest in between us and them was supposedly impassable.

Ashton's scouts had tried with no luck. We didn't send any as it wasn't important for us. We mainly sent them South and West. To Marcus' city or to find Mountainside.

If what Ashton said was true, and there was a forest separating us filled with strong beasts, what was he hoping to accomplish from our meeting? Was he going to try and sway me? Ask me to join his Faction like he did Ashton.

That seemed most likely but if he'd met Ashton, and presumably asked the man about me, he would already know my answer to that.

Ah, hell, enough stewing.

I played with various outcomes and gave it the thought required, but I wouldn't get to the bottom of it until meeting the man myself and I was tired of playing what ifs.

After finishing up giving people direction, I found Ashton again.

"Alright, lead the way."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He headed West from our Camp. Coming in on boats put us on the Northeastern side of the obelisk already and we mostly disembarked and set up where we landed.

It also made things easier that our section was already nearby for that exact reason.

The crowds were annoying to get through but most of them were busy working on something or another. The notification everyone got pushed things into motion and worked to kick the ant's nest in a way.

We had to pass through a few other Factions or go around a campsite or two to reach it, but it wasn't long before we came upon it.

The campsite itself wasn't anything fancy. It was similar to all the others around with canvas tents set up and the occasional wooden structure or one made from earth pulled from the ground.

Tents could be a lot more sophisticated now that magic could be used in their construction. My own tent was a marvel at work and even though it was as large as a bedroom, it didn't need to be supported in any way in the middle with odd poles holding it up around the edges that could hold a lot more than it looked.

It was also cozy, in a way that tents before the Change weren't.

Given my powers, it was possible to conjure up ice into a structure to live in but that was both annoying and draining. It constantly drained mana and mental power to keep it conjured and frozen.

Even if water was dragged from the river and frozen into shape, it would still drain me to keep it cold even if that was a lot easier than keeping ice conjured.

There were other ways around it, but the problem wasn't enough to force me to explore them. I quite liked my tent actually.

Ashton knew his way around and the guards keeping watch around the campsite seemed to know him and we were let in easily. The guards themselves were average in terms of strength. On the lower end of those in the Orders, but above those who weren't members.

For once, [Identify] came through and their levels were in the high 70s and 80s. It was about what I expected. There were some standouts on the higher end near 90, but those were few and far between.

The campsite was organized, which was a point in the man's favor. Some I'd seen were sprawling hodgepodges that weren't given any thought.

The lines were clean and everything was separated accordingly. The temporary smithies were set up together along with the butcher tables with their own spot away from everything. Hunting was hard with so many people around but there was the occasional fruitful outing.

The outhouses were also neatly built far away from everything else and there seemed to be someone with [Cleanse] going around to them as there wasn't a smell.

It was a practice we learned to employ early. No one liked the smell of shit.

So far, it was about what I expected.

The main tent was larger than the rest and that was where Ashton led me. Not much of a surprise. The guards stationed outside the tent were a step above the others.

Their levels were lost on me as [Identify] didn't work, but I was experienced enough using my aura that I could tell they were easily in the 90s. They also had a stronger aura of their own that was easy to feel. Mine rubbed up against theirs naturally as we got closer.

They were the first people in the camp that I noticed. They were nowhere near the threat level of the people at the meeting, but they also weren't easily dismissible.

Ashton had a word with the pair in front of the tent's entrance and one quickly ducked inside.

Ashton returned next to me and we awaited a response.

It was slightly aggravating to come to him and then wait but it wasn't the end of the world. When Ashton first proposed the idea, a part of me thought to demand him come to me, but that was just petty posturing.

I liked to think I was above that. That thought was immediately followed by an ego check. It was getting increasingly easier to justify my attitude to certain situations and I wasn't sure I liked it.

The wait wasn't long and the same guard stepped out, "You can go in now."

"Thank you," I said and entered. Ashton followed behind me.

The inside of the tent was nice but not gaudy. The things inside, furniture and equipment, were well made but not ornamental. Everything I saw had a use.

My opinion of the man was increasing.

The man himself stood from his chair when I entered. The table was small, to fit inside the tent and not take up too much space, and the three chairs laid out around it were also sized to fit the table.

His skin was on the paler side, as most Canadians I'd met, with dark hair. There was a hint of stubble, but that was all in terms of facial hair. He greeted me with a friendly smile and had the bearing of a man with natural charisma.

I see how he moved up.

Charisma wasn't his only trait. Much like the guards outside the tent, he had a weight to him that others lacked. He was even stronger than Ashton.

The boast that he was almost a Baron wasn't unfounded it seemed. I estimated that he'd be able to do it with enough people behind him. The casualties would be high, but enough would do the trick.

"Christopher Zalenski, right?" He greeted politely, "I've heard a lot about you."

"It seems you have me at a disadvantage. I don't even know your name." I responded.

The man shot a quick look at Ashton before looking back at me, "I'd thought Ashton here would introduce me but it seems I was wrong. No matter, I am Ryan Clairmont. You may call me Ryan if you wish."

"Ryan it is, and just Christopher is fine." We shook hands and both took a seat along with Ashton.

"I'll get to the point as we both have a lot to do before the timer runs out." He said and I nodded appreciatively. "The reason I reached out is for a few reasons. Ashton tells me you battled Demons not that long ago?"

I wasn't sure where this was going and it also wasn't something I thought would be discussed, "Yes. We fought them last year."

"Do you have any suspicions of who was responsible for the summoning? I was told that you made some headway on tracking the Demons but wasn't told if you got anywhere with it." Ryan asked.

It was disappointing to admit, but I told the man what we found, "We located a few other traces and found areas of corruption, but leads into who was responsible ended nowhere, sadly. We're still on the lookout for any other signs or traces of their mana, but there's not much else I can do."

"I was afraid of that." Ryan sighed, "The reason I ask is because we've had our own run-in with Demons."

I instantly got serious. I was not looking forward to another dust-up with them. If they managed to create a portal...

Ryan noticed my change of attitude instantly, "Not to worry. We've done the same and rooted out the threat. We were given little choice in the matter and many were lost." His expression was sad and I knew the feeling.

I looked at Ashton, "Did we miss one?"

We thoroughly searched the area for any stray Demons and we scoured the countryside with Scouts to find any that ran away. I had thought we got them all when the problem didn't resurface and all traces of Demonic corruption faded away.

Ashton shook his head, "I don't believe so."

"From Ashton's descriptions of what you faced, the type was not the same. We faced something closer to hellfire elementals than hell hounds and Demonlings." Ryan added.

"A second summoning?" I voiced my suspicions out loud.

Ryan and Ashton nodded. "That is what we believe."

If it happened twice, how many other times has it happened?

"Do you know of any other instances?" I asked.

"Communication isn't what it used to be so I can't claim with confidence that the answer to that is no." Ryan said, "But we haven't heard of any other instances nearby. We hoped to ask around here, with people from all over, but it's surprisingly difficult to get information out of them."

This... this didn't have good implications.

"That brings me to the second reason for this meeting." Ryan said, "We wish to create a coalition of sorts. An agreement to face all Demons together and search out those responsible for any Summonings."

"I see no reason to refuse. If another incursion is found, I will fight with you should the chance arise." I said. "If a portal is created..." I left the rest unsaid.

"Right. Can you tell me more about that? From what we've gathered we assumed that was impossible yet you claim otherwise. You were also the only one to see it." Ryan said.

The subtle shot at my honor made my face harden. It was annoying to be considered a liar, no matter how innocuous the insinuation was.

"I do not know how it was possible. All I know was it was in the process of being created," My words were hard, "Ashton can attest to the explosion and the state I was in following. That kind of power isn't something I, or anyone, could wield."

"I see," Ryan said, "I'm not claiming that you were wrong, but something that large needs to be carefully investigated. I've had people look into and research the issue again, and we've come across a few ways that it could be possible. The notification we were all given added another."

How did the notification indicate a way a Demonic portal was possible?

"Our leading theory is that a Demonic world is in this integration with us. Technically, with both our world and theirs protected in the same way by being newly integrated, a portal between the two was made possible."

Possible. We weren't sure what or who else were out there in our integration. Cypteris, our summoned teacher during the tutorial, let slip that there were Dwarves, but he said nothing of Demons.

"If that's the case, this won't be our last run-in with Demons," I said.