Chapter 81 June 25th, 2032 | 12 Days Until Final Influx

"Understood." Daniel grimaced nervously, "I'll do my best to handle it."

"Good man." Kaze smiled, "I'm relying upon you. Don't forget that the military is on your time, not the other way around."

The businessman gave him a wry smile. "I'll try to think that way."

Hundreds of military personnel were in the area with building materials and contractors. They were already installing a 50-foot electric fence over the perimeter.

I'll give you the details tomorrow morning. Goodbye, Kaze, and…."

"Jacob Hays, but please call me Jake." Jake replied, shaking the man's hand.

"Nice to meet you, goodbye." Daniel said before walking away, rejoining the military officials.

It was before 9:00 am, and Kaze had already made an absurd request while dealing with hundreds of military members asking him for information he didn't have.

Worse, Kaze informed him that he'd be busy for the rest of the day.

The emperor led Jake to the center of the faction, where all of the students were assembled around the amphitheater.

As Evalyn requested, Kaze posted a technique called [Mortal Red Eye] on bulletin boards on the amphitheater stage.

Of the eighty-seven hard offenders, twenty-seven were sitting on the stage, [attempting to cultivate].

Amongst the guilty were the twelve innocent people that demanded exemption, making a total of thirty-nine learning the technique.

Each had expressions that expressed their profound regret. If they could turn back time, they would turn down the technique and a week of cultivation practice to avoid their fate.

The other faction members were having a meet-and-greet session in the amphitheater stands with salty expressions, each feeling [equally] punished because they couldn't cultivate.

Kaze watched the scene with a slight smile alongside Jake, who was confused and still in the dark about what was happening.

A skycruiser touched down in his area, and soldiers bagged his and Victoria's head, dragging them to Immortal Skye [before] the fourth influx. After that, he was in isolation for two days.

Kaze had already briefed him on the state of affairs but hadn't explained what had happened at the party.

"Why is everyone so… angry?" Jake asked in confusion.

The emperor smiled and pointed at the students cultivating in the center.

"Evalyn banned everyone for cultivating for the next two days because that group and sixty others broke the rules."

Jake's eyes widened in confusion. "Why would she punish the innocent?"

"Look around you, Jake." The emperor ordered mockingly, "The results are plain to see, are they not?"

The regent swallowed nervously and panned the area. "I get that those in the center look more miserable than the rest, but I still don't understand [why]."

"Let's take a tour, shall we?" Kaze smiled, walking with his regent through the amphitheater to the Lockheed student mansion.

"As you can see, some rule-breakers are in the center, and the other 2,118 regular faction members are [coinicdentally] having meet and greets surrounding them." He grinned.

"Listen closely, and you'll hear only one discussion topic."

Jake listened to multiple conversations as they walked.

"I can't believe those jerks broke the rules and now they're learning a new technique while we're getting punished."

"Yeah, that guy over there was a real douche, too. I disliked him before, but now I hate him."

"Gah, this is so unfair! Why would those jerks benefit when they endangered people's lives on the first day?"

"Shhhh, Faction Leader is walking around."

The emperor smiled and looked at his regent. "As you can see, everyone now how a common topic to bond over."

"Their hatred of those people?" Jake asked nervously.

"Pre-cisely." Kaze grinned, "Now, the people that broke the rules are receiving ruthless social punishment far more crippling than any loss of cultivation days. Take a look."

Those in the center had faces that screamed [kill me now. I'd accept a slow and painful death] type of expression.

Each looked at the technique on the wall, trying to ignore the hateful gazes and audible sneers coming their way. It was awful.

"I see. You said sixty others weren't in the center... why aren't all of them on the stage?" The regent asked hesitantly, "Isn't that unfair?"

"Oh, no. The other sixty offenders asked to be left out of cultivation practice." The emperor chuckled, "So I graciously granted their wish."

Jake's eyes widened in confusion. "I'm confused… why would you let people out of the punishment?"

"Let them out of their punishment?" Kaze laughed, "Don't be absurd; those people have it worse.

They wanted to escape social isolation. However, do you think people would forget their guilt?"

Jake's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh… so everyone hates them, and they don't get to cultivate."

"See for yourself." The emperor chuckled, pointing in the distance, "They're gathered in one place for group support. You'd think the reaper's scythe was hanging over them."

The group of sixty was standing in a circle like a roman phalanx, preventing anyone from seeing their faces.

"I-I see. Why are there other people in cloistered groups?" Jake asked in confusion.

"The punishment is horrifyingly effective because it punishes every guilty person on a sliding scale, depending on their involvement." Kaze explained.

"Those obnoxiously heckling the detox members got socially ostracized as well, as they aided in the rule-breaking, even though they didn't technically break them."

"That makes sense… but if it would have worked just by punishing everyone equally, then why give a technique to the people?" Jake asked in confusion.

"It seems like a net benefit for those people, since the other sixty have it worse, right?"

A strange glint flashed across the emperor's eyes.

"Oh, yes. [That]." He chuckled, "That's a [brand], Jake. Of the entire punishment, that's the cruelest."

Jake's eyes glided to the left. "Is it because using it will remind people of the crime?"

"Precisely." Kaze grinned, "The one I gave them is especially called [Mortal Red Eye].

It's a remarkably simple yet profoundly useful technique that allows people to see farther, like a camera zoom feature. However, it makes their eyes glow red."

A horrifying wave of realization washed over Jake. "In other words, you gave them a technique constantly reminds people of their crime but is so useful that not using it is difficult."

"Cor~rect." The emperor chuckled, "If they use it, even their friends will resent them.

However, if they don't, they get nothing from getting [extra] hated, and people will resent them for [not using it].

It's remarkably cruel but effective. You can already see the people practicing it tremble in fear.

I doubt they'd use it if they weren't ordered to practice it. It's quite comical."

Every time someone's eyes glowed, there was a wave of sneers and scoffs from hundreds of people. It was horrifying, humiliating, and borderline traumatizing.

"Was… something like this necessary?" Jake grimaced, "It doesn't sound like it was a serious problem, and it happened on the first day… at a party. You know?"

"Yes, it is rather disagreeable." Kaze nodded straightly, "It's created social segregation and tension, and that's a problem.

However, everyone will think twice about breaking the rules and most importantly…."

He turned to his regent with a mysterious smile. "Everyone knows that Evalyn has equal authority and respects her now."

"But don't they also hate her?" Jake asked in confusion.

"Being loved means nothing if you're not respected, Jake." Kaze declared, "The true love bestowed upon rulers comes from prospering.

One's charisma is worthless if their people's lives are ravaged by war, hunger, and disease.

A ruler that does not have the authority or competence to prevent long-term suffering and solve problems is doomed to unpopularity.

Reputation is the key to saving one's life and protecting others; it is not a simple desire to live with popularity.

There will come a time when you'll learn that the hard way."

Jake stared at the emperor in awe, still unbelieving that the man was the same person he had met in a bathroom with a dick drawn on his face.

The man's respect and reputation soared to world-class in less than a month. It was remarkable.

"Now come, Jake; I'm taking you to Veronica." Kaze smiled, "Do you remember your directives?"

"Yes…." Jake swallowed nervously, "No one can leave the room for five days, and I'm to help people with their cultivation and keep the peace.

I must not engage in any topic about your activities, Immortal Skye, or talk about the military.

I also cannot ask you questions about matters outside of the faction or talk to the faction members aside from the Lockheed students.

We're in three-month isolation for the retreat, and you won't tell me more, so I should explain that to people, right?"

"That is correct. You mustn't break those simple rules at any cost. Do you understand?" The emperor declared with a cold glint in his vibrant green eyes.

The regent swallowed nervously, feeling his mouth dry out from the action. "I do, but…."

"But what?" Kaze asked in annoyance.

"Wouldn't it be better to have answers so I could understand?" Jake asked timidly, "You told me that everyone else went through something I didn't.

If I knew why, wouldn't it help me act accordingly?"

"No, it wouldn't." The emperor said seriously, "Everyone wants the same information.

If you had it, these people would eat you alive. They'd use every tactic available to interrogate you, including using Veronica against you.

Right now, I've given you enough information to cause enough problems.

I can't give you more until you understand the challenges of information handling. Do you understand?"

Jake dry-swallowed nervously. "I think so. You're giving me knowledge and testing if I can keep my mouth shut, right?"

"Correct." The emperor confirmed seriously.

"Isn't that… a bit easy?" The regent asked.

"When I see you tomorrow, tell me if you still think it's [easy]." The emperor laughed in sardonic amusement.

The corners of Jake's mouth curved into a truly pathetic smile.

The emperor rolled his eyes and led his regent into the Lockheed University students' mansion. At the top of the stairs, he made the man stop to stare at the steel door.

Jake swallowed nervously. "Is this really necessary?"

"We've gone over this, have we not?" Kaze asked sternly.

"Yes... we can't have a single leak about the military or the elite training, and thousands of military and faction members are walking around.

But Kaze, you're not doing this simply to hide them from the other students.

That's why it's hard to feel okay that Veronica is in this room without knowing why."

Kaze gave him a bitter smile. He was glad that the man was using his head and not mincing words. However, he was playing with fire.

"I have presented no falsehoods, but you are correct." He confirmed.

"There is a greater reason that everyone's in this room for five more days; you'll learn it in four days.

While I cannot say what it is, I can say it's for the safety and benefit of Veronica and the rest of the people in this room.

It's of tantamount importance and strictly benign."

"Then I'll trust in your judgement." Jake replied in a low voice, looking at the steel door.

Kaze gave the man a strange look but put on a smile immediately after. "Good man.

Let's go in and reintroduce you.

Not Jake, the nobody; not Payton, the new guy.

Jake Hays, the running candidate for the Head of Faction Affairs."

Jake's eyes shook with shock, opening and closing his mouth in disbelief. "W-Wait, what?"

"Faction management; you understand, yes?" Kaze smiled, "You're craven, naive, loathsomely timid, and your feeble nature is fatiguing. One truly relies upon a thesaurus to describe your cowardice."

The regent smiled wryly. Getting berated mercilessly after being praised was brutal.

"However, you're neither a fool nor incompetant. As I told you on the day I met you, men don't abandon those who aid their rise to power." The emperor continued.

"You've proven yourself trustworthy and loyal and show great promise. Your cultivation has improved by leaps and bounds, proving your dedication.

So long as you can handle tasks this simple, trust me, and do not betray me, I shall grant you power, status, wealth, and high quality of life."

Jake closed his eyes and took a deep breath to contain the desire to shed light tears. That was a treasonous act in front of the emperor.

"I'll do my best, Kaze." He swallowed, choking back his emotions, "I'll do my best."

"Good man." Kaze smiled, slapping him twice lightly on the cheek, "Now let's introduce the real you to the people you once found above you."

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[A/N: Developmental chapters aren't the most exciting, but they're an investment in memorable characters you look forward to seeing. Action and leveling up returns tomorrow. Cheers!]