Zalan gulped, their face turning paler. “We...” The Changeling choked out. “We wanted change...”
I nodded. “See?” I gave their cheek a playful pinch. “Not so hard, is it?”
They whipped their head away from my hand while scowling.
“Now, what is it you want to change? The governnt? You want to do away with the ruling class? Perhaps you're tired of having little or no political involvent?” I asked, then gestured around . “You have the rulers of six different countries more than ready to listen to what you have to say.”
Zalan took a weary glance around the room, then back at . “They only listen when you lot show up,” they pointed out, grinding their teeth.
Negging it is, then, I concluded. “Why would they otherwise? Or are you deluded into thinking you have anything of value to say under normal circumstances? That can't be it, right? You can't be that stupid.”
Zalan glared at . “You wouldn't get it even if I explain it.”
“Psh,” I scoffed. “How hard can it be? What is it? Equality of opportunity? Equality of outco? Hyper-competitive economy? Representation of the populace in governnt office? That I would understand since Lumin Kingdom doesn't exactly have representative democracy like other countries, but I doubt there's heavy social issues that would warrant the need of minorities in office.”
Zalan raised an eyebrow.
“I may be two and a half months old, but I'm neither stupid nor alone,” I sighed. “Sociopolitical circumstances aren't really hard to grasp.” I turned to Gordon. “Are there ways for people to beco Nobles, even if they're not Tigeas?”
He nodded. “Naturally, Your Excellency,” he replied. “One such example is Lord Punten who you've t in Riverfield. He's a Human who started a business and achieved results worthy of receiving the title of Baron. Not enough to beco a Court Noble, however, but he's on the right track.”
Seriously? I wondered in surprise. I turned to the Changeling. “See? Easy. Start a business, acquired a fat purse, be a decent person, and you're on your way to being a Noble who has a say in politics.” I circled Zalan and placed my hands on their shoulders. “But that's too much work, right? You want it right now. For everyone. But this is a Kingdom, you see.”
The Rulers cleared their throats.
“This country is pretty old, right?” I monologued. “Almost a million years old. Bachat killed a monster and caught Lumin's attention, then his approval to found a country after getting a piece of land from Koluum. Pretty simple if you ask . It's been quite a while. I would understand if people got tired of being under the rule of Monarchy. I would understand an attempt at change of governnt if the Royal Family was problematic and... say... imposed an abusive tax on people for profit.” I released Zalan and walked around the chair, facing them. “But that's not the case, right? People aren't rioting on the streets. Nobody has approached with complaints to the Royal Family. I have visited a few towns and cities and things look good so far. Am I wrong to think people have good lives here in Lumin Kingdom?”
Zalan glared at and frowned.
I raised the dagger.
“No,” Zalan quickly replied, staring at the blade in my hand.
I nodded. “So you're a dissatisfied minority, then. What good would your new governnt bring? Do you think the populace would accept your new system? Do you think I would approve of the new country if a very small group of people replaces the Crown? The rest wont like it, you see. You'd be replaced soon after by either the populace or the surviving mbers of the Royal Family. If, say, you used force to cling to power, then we Halves would co into the picture.” I frowned. “Even worse, you tried to kill . Maybe to prevent your new system from being rejected, or maybe in your own words, sabotaged? Maybe to stop from killing the Demon? I don't know... and honestly don't care. You are an absolute failure in every sense.”
“Fuck off,” Zalan grumbled.
“For the sake of argunt,” I continued, ignoring the insult. “If half of the population of Lumin Kingdom was dissatisfied, then I would support a revolution. If they wanted to storm the Royal Palace and kill the Royal Family I wouldn't stop them.”
Gordon fidgeted, fixing the neck of his robe.
“But that's not the case either,” I pointed out. “And I wouldn't join them. That would be the populace's business, not mine. In the hypothetical case of you managing to kill Gordon, I wouldn't be involved either. I don't exist to punish the populace's insubordination. If Gordon was a tyrant, then yeah... that'd be my business... he isn't, though.”
“If we didn't try to kill you, would you have ddled?” Zalan demanded.
“I would have,” I replied. “You used a Demon, you see. You didn't have the guts to try and kill Gordon yourselves. I an... what kind of shitshow would you have replaced monarchy with when you can't even do shit yourself? So mockery to ritocracy? I would assu you'd put the Demon in charge since it wouldn't be you who killed Gordon if you have any sense of logic to you. The execution of your ideas is laughable, if anything.”
Zalan scoffed. “You Halves are all corrupt. You can't imagine a world without countries under your influence. You disgust . Don't use Nerissa as an excuse.”
I smiled. “At least you're braver than her,” I comnted.
“She was our bravest,” Zalan corrected with a scowl.
“Not in front of ,” I retorted.
“What an obvious lie,” the Changeling chuckled. “The only thing she feared-”
“Was ,” I interrupted them in Infernal.
Zalan's eyes widened to the limit. “You're the-”
I quickly put my empty hand inside their mouth, pressing down on their tongue with my fingers and preventing the following words from being said.
So she told them, I concluded, placing my thumb on the Changeling's chin to keep them in place. They don't have the instinctual fear, though. Are Demons really their ancestors?
“Your Excellency?” Hanna asked from behind .
“I think we heard enough,” I addressed the people in the room. “They wanted change, but failed.”
“That's right,” Gordon absentmindedly agreed, looking at the Changeling with a troubled expression.
“Hard to get anything of value out of this sort,” Paveli comnted with a sigh. “Your Excellency did her best.”
Claudia nodded. “They can't be reasoned with. No matter what they hear,” she lanted.
“How much information do you have about them?” Plesani asked Gordon.
“Almost everything,” he replied. “Their nas, where they live, who they et, and where they work at. We're missing the other leaders and key mbers, however.”
Paveli nodded. “Please let know if they have any connection to people in Chad.”
“Sa,” Plesani added.
The other Rulers joined, asking to be inford if any connection to their countries was found.
Zalan was glaring at and biting on my hand. They were pretty weak so all they did was hurt themselves.
Hanna sighed, ”They should be executed, the lot of them.”
I shook my head. “Nah. Let the law do its thing.”
The Ork nodded.
Gordon cleared his throat. “The cris add up to execution, Your Excellency,” he pointed out.
“Heh,” Hanna uttered in joy.
“Haagi?” Zalan tried talking.
I looked at them and sighed, “I guess that's it.” I pulled my hand out of their mouth and stabbed their left eye with the dagger.
The blade went in without any effort and the eyeball got split in half. Blood quickly flowed and their body went limp like a puppet whose strings were cut.
“Nikontia would've been better,” I lanted. “But whatever.”
“Well done, Your Excellency,” Hanna praised . “What a precise strike. No hesitation either.”
I chuckled. “Of course, these little shits tried to kill .”
The Ork smiled and nodded several tis. “By the way,” she said and produced a corpse.
It was another Changeling.
“This is Kulmonari, Your Excellency,” Hanna announced, putting the body on the ground. “They got the nikontia used to try and kill you.”
“So that's where they were,” Gordon comnted, walking to the corpse. “We couldn't find them no matter where we searched.”
“Apologies, Your Majesty. But I ca across this mutt and wanted to present Her Excellency with their carcass myself,” she excused her murder to the ruler of the nation.
“Understandable,” the King accepted the murderer's words with a kind smile.
I, a murderer as well, turned to my victim and pulled the weapon that took their life from their skull with the sa nonchalance as when I did the act.
The body fell to the ground, lifeless and limp.
I like this world, I thought and stored the murder weapon. I really do.
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