Chapter 248: Back in Demme (P2)

"To what do I owe the...unexpected pleasure?" It's a struggle not to groan at their presence accompanying my meal.

Before the servants leave they'd set up seats and tea for my visitors and now they watch me pull the meat off the large seasoned bones of some cooked bird. It's delicious, the best I've had since Jungle's insistence on capturing and preparing rabbits, slithering snakes, and larger than normal rats in the Forest.

The value of salt and spice is truly immeasurable to the stomach of a hungry, tired man.

"Mmm, don't mind me, you lot came in here with the time in mind, spit it out."

Alric, the Mayor turns away, and I know it was his idea to ambush me this way, he's the first to speak, "Uh, Lord Ash, it's scarce to see a busy man like yourself so when I heard you'd returned to the Village, I had to have the servants prepare the best roast duck and chicken for you."

'Huh, is that what this is? Duck and Chicken?'

"I also had to prepare the delegates to the major facets of the community here, the voices of your people." He chuckles sadly, his anxiety at displeasing me clear.

Letting out a deep sigh I push the plate aside and burp, "I'd say you've done well, Alric, have them prepare it again for dinner, this is a meal I'd like to have before I slumber."

He nods, almost bowing out of his seat, "Of course, milord."

Alric wasn't always so subservient to me, in fact, he held some rigorous bolster to him when I first stepped in Demme. He was the one who stood in my way, he and his Benefactor, the Demon from within the depths of Reais. Defeating...or at least, forcing said Demon to retreat into the underworld and bringing Lotar as a powerful, present alternative Deity for the people to worship and pray to was the first bit that won his respect.

For a while I thought that's all I had of him, respect. But something must have happened when I was away from Aste, some stories, some legends, some cults forming in my name, praying to me as the God of Undead and Unrighteous Souls. Whatever else he may have heard or experienced in Aste may be why he bows so low now.

I suppose another contributing fact is my manipulation of Demme's crops. I made a promise to them that their lands would be fertile, but I never said when. The when just so happens to be whenever I'm present in the village, whenever I'm close, whenever I say so. It does well to give the illusion of power and control over their lives, well, I suppose it isn't an illusion considering I could turn it all off with but a whisper to the Spriggan of the Forest.

But I want to be worshipped and feared, not feared and loathed. Because of this my ears open up to listen to every word of problem when I ask, "So what is the reason for this impromptu meeting then."

I look across all three of their faces, Piol has been sweating beads so I guess what he has to say is no good, and Fragus sits stoic and stone faced as ever, I suppose there is little that brings emotion to the man who's seen dozens of his friends die at the hands of the monsters from the forest.

"I have no problems, Milord, but these two have come to me requesting urgent audience with you to speak on the matters they're in charge of."

I nod at Piol, "You can go first then, spit it out."

Stuttering, his eyes anywhere but at me, he starts, "The people are...stubborn. Not to say they aren't grateful, there are a few that do as I tell them, that pray to Lotar for crop harvests and protection from the Demon from Reais, but…"

"But the majority do not." I complete for him, a deep frown marring my face, "And why do you think this is? What do you think needs to change?"

He looks up at me, his mouth hung open and his eyes darting about, "Uh...me? I don't...know?"

'Maybe it was a mistake to appoint a shrill, timid man as my representative to the people.'

"Alright then, you are dismissed...permanently, you don't have to worry about spreading word of my will to the people of Demme any longer."

A downcast look befalls him, he gasps and starts to speak but I raise a hand and silence all opposing voices.

"Something needs to change, you aren't doing a good job of the position, Piol, in hindsight I shouldn't have thrust such responsibility on your shoulders. Go, live your life the way you have before I arrived, or the way you can now that I've made this place safe."

The last bit about making the village safe is for the benefit of Alric but mainly for Fragus. He stood as the protector of the people of this village before I came along, I can already guess what his complaints will be about.

Piol gets up, a bit awkward and leaves, shutting the door behind him.

"Fragus?

"My Warriors are hesitant about fighting this...war of yours."

'I knew it.'

"War of ours you mean." I start, his lips part to speak but I interrupt him by raising a bone from my plate and wagging it, "I am ruler of this Village, Fragus, your Warriors and you go where I tell them to."

I can see him start bristling with anger, but he knows better, he knows I'm a far greater terror than the monsters he's about to speak of, "We're worried about leaving the village unguarded, the Forest is still close to our home and monsters still peek and wander out from it, we've killed and harvested a few in fact."

"Harvested? Did anyone die? Did anyone get injured by these monsters?"

"No but-"

"And how did you take out these monsters?"

"With our fortifications on the walls, hordes of arrows fired upon them. Some of the traps we placed in the field helped as well."

"Hahaha! So not only did not a single person die, you didn't even have to get close to repel the danger." Leaning forward, I growl at him, "And who do you thank for having the time, the breathing space to set those traps? Those fortifications? Huh? Who?"

It takes him a moment, a moment too long but he says it, "You Milord."

"Me. That's right, me. So when I tell you there's an enemy I actually need your help with, does it occur to you that this enemy will plough through you without a second thought if you don't comply?"

Another gritting moment of silence. Alric sits deathly still beside him, not speaking a word of breathing hard enough to be heard.

"But Milord, the enemy is the-"

The burning green light from mana in my hand shuts him up, "I think I know the problem, do you want to know the problem here? The true problem with your Warriors? With you?"

Again, a pause before he gives a nod.

Tossing the ball of mana between my hands I get up and start pacing about the large meeting room, "I have been far too considerate, too kind, and that kindness is taken for granted. I can just as well leave Demme now and never return, your crops will wither and die like they have before and the monsters will sense that I've left and they will rush in to devour your women, your children. They will feast, as they have done before, on the entrails of your brothers, sisters and fathers and mothers. And you will be too weak to resist.

"I don't actually need you, any one of you...well, I don't need your minds or opinions or thoughts. I could save Lotar a lot of time and power cultivating crops if I just raze this Village to the ground and transform everyone into an undead corpse, the undead make for a stronger army anyway, given that they are...undying. But no, I didn't do that the moment I entered Demme because I was considerate and kind."

Pressing my blazing hand on his shoulders, he winces, grunts but doesn't struggle to  get free as his flesh burns and rots to nothing, "Tell me Fragus, should I discard these inhibitions, my compassion for human life to blossom, should I let it all go and devour this Village?"

"No, Milord, please no."

"Then next time think twice about spitting nonsense in my presence! Get out! Both of you!"

The Mayor and Fragus scramble out, Alric forgetting his shoes as he leaves. In truth, I could have gone on with the intimidation and bluffs, I wouldn't turn everyone into Undead, I'm sure my predecessor had a rad time transforming every living thing she saw into one but I want to have a living Kingdom.

Besides, all that lying and threatening has given me a bright idea for our Beast Mother problem.