I stood together with Haku, Galadriel and Elysir, watching an event.
The moonlight mist had become the centre of a big conglomeration where dozens of thousands stared at an individual who levitated above everyone, they looked at this person with endless gratitude.
And that person wasn't me, Ray. It was Anna Blair who had levitated in the centre to address the crowd of elves that stood in the front of all ex-slaves that had been fred.
A group of them, mainly males, would join her in her campaign towards the Elf Kingdom, while the rest quietly settled in either of the available territories. Whichever their decision was, they were present today to support her and to give her farewells as one of the main actors in the offensive that fred them from a long life of slavery.
I could feel it. While they were grateful to me as the 'God' who had made all of this work, they were even more grateful to Anna, Alana, Zariel, and even Kurumi, Haku (who also scared them a bit).
Because they had personally fought to free them while I stood in the back, it was their faces they saw first when abandoning their confinement. I understood that and even laughed at Demiurge, who had some fans of his own.
"Ray-sama," He approached me to whisper something on the side, "There is a matter that requires your addressing, a vampire–".
"We will deal with it later, Demiurge, let's watch for now".
"As you wish, Ray-sama" He bowed and stepped back as we paid attention to Anna's discourse.
...
Anna began appealing to the conscience of the elves, retelling tales that I didn't understand about but that Galadriel explained to me were long historical tales of the Elf Kingdom that had been taught generation after generation for dozens of thousands of years. She didn't fail to mention the beautiful relationship that Elves used to have with the rest of the races and how they were regarded as the 'protectors', as Elves were the race that had the best contact with nature.
As such, Elves were the ambassadors between the Earth and those who lived in it.
As she spoke, I could notice her voice begin to break. Anna may have become a fierce and fearless fighter, but she was still an awkward girl who had a hard time addressing crowds. Especially when her emotions were touched upon as well. I imagine she recalled her parent,s and soon her words began to die off as the feeling of wrath welled up.
But that was not the message she wanted to give. She wanted to give a message of hope for this world, not one of bloodshed.
"We have been away from home for too long–" She mumbled, but two hands stopped her. On either side of her stood Haku and Elysir, shaking their heads.
"Oh sweetie just cut the crap" Haku giggled, earning glares and silence as she stood in front and spread her arms, levitating above everyone with that darkness aura of hers.
I even looked at her with interest, wondering what she was about to do.
She looked around at everyone with a hideous smile, that wicked smile she always has when she's up to no good, it made me sigh.
"Traditions, memories, longevity, respect... the longing to return home. Those are all beautiful things, but... I can't help but see it in your faces, something has yet to be mentioned".
"..." Everyone looked at each other, and all the slaves could see a frown and frustration in each other's faces. Especially the Elves, those who had suffered the most had rejoiced at the blood of their abusers and captors being spilt in torrents as their heads were pierced by stakes.
But it wasn't enough, because they were not the only ones to blame for this atrocity.
"Don't you all want revenge?~" Hasshaku-sama, the ancient Yōkai that fueled herself off dark emotions, smirked maniacally.
There was silence as all elves looked at one another with complex expressions, then they looked at Anna, who was staring at Haku with bloodshot eyes.
'Haku, what are you doing?' I sent her a mental message asking about her intentions.
'Master, allow me~'.
The next thing, Solution walked in, her body began to expand and transform into something that resembled a mirror. From this mirror, visions began to play in front of all the slaves present. The first was that of a meeting, and it was shockingly between a noble of the Sloane Theocracy and an Elf Knight.
"S-Sir Caspian..." Lucilla mumbled the name of that Elf Knight who was well-known. Galadriel didn't know who he was as he was too 'young' for her knowledge, but Alana told me this Caspian was a renowned Elf Kingdom knight who was regarded as a patriotic hero. It didn't matter which dynasty was taking the throne of the kingdom, this knight would always be for the sake of all Forest Elves.
But this knight was sitting in front of an official of Black Scripture, and what they were discussing was a secret location of a Forest Elf Settlement in the Eastern Border. As well as a treaty to hand those elves over to the Sloane Theocracy in exchange for a delay in confrontations.
All ordered by Decem Hougan.
"Three years of halted hostility–"
"Two? You faggot, have you forgotten what your bastard King did to our mistress?!".
"There are fifteen noble elves in that regiment, I can't do less than three years!".
They negotiated back and forth, eventually settling for two and a half halted hostilities between both parties in exchange for the location of that Elf Settlement. All witnessed by Solution, or better said, a knight from the Re-Estize Kingdom who moderated the negotiations.
She had usurped his memories, and that is how she knew all of this.
Solution played and played more memories involving trades between different officers, not only from the Elf Kingdom, but even from the Dragon Kingdom, the Baharut Empire, and the Dwarf Kingdom.
Showing the hideous truth: They had been sold by their people to the Sloane Theocracy, the strongest force, in exchange for a momentary peace.
Knees hit the ground, and there was a welling-up feeling of wrath that manifested in the form of a black miasma that travelled towards Haku.
"Impossible, those bastards!".
"WE WERE SOLD! SIR CASPIAN!".
...
I looked at her with a piercing glare, but didn't say a word.
'I have spoken to her, and I agree with her methods,' Elysir told me.
'Are you supporting Haku? Since when?!' I didn't think they were besties. Elysir always keeps her distance from the rest of my women.
'Since she thought that it was the citizens of this world who should cleanse the evil within it. Not you, Ray... you have already done enough. Do you wish for them to live in a lie as you work hard every day to create a false peace? True peace can only be achieved when all wrong emotions are unscathed. This is their rightful wrath, allow them to let it out'.
'As their God, this is your job: to let these matters flow on their own. Emotions are a part of nature'
**
**
Haku rejoiced in the darkness that seeped through and looked down towards those vengeful spirits. "Allow me to ask you again, for you are slaves no more. Ladies and gentlemen, do you want revenge?~"
"YEAHH!!!"
"WE MUST MASSACRE THAT BASTARD!"
"PLEASE LEAD US!".
The answer was categorically different this time. Even Anna and Alana could hardly stop their hands from clenching. Decem Hougan had endorsed their slavery alongside more and more key officers of the several kingdoms to which they belonged. All under the pretext of false peace.
"Don't you all want to get your hands on the miserable bastard that tarnished your home and pushed you out of it, only to suffer?!" Haku billowed.
"YEAH!".
"So stop your ridiculous melancholy and longing for a home, think only with your wrath! Where do you think you're all going? You're going to a place filled with corrupt crooks who supported Decem Hougan's regime. He is not your only objective; traitorous elves who didn't give a fuck about your life and lived in peace on their own. Do you think you can clean your home from this filth with melancholy?!"
"NO!"
"Brothers and sisters, think with wrath, use wrath, wield wrath~" She said, and then she waved her hand. All the darkness in the area congregated. She didn't actually absorb it, but instead, led it back to where it originated.
*WHOOSH!*
The darkness entered their bodies once more, but this time not in the form of emotions, but rather.. strength.
Their cloaks were imbued with a dark aura that permeated like a disease, and their stats began to increase marginally. They felt the strength welling up, but at the same time, they felt compelled to use that strength immediately, hopefully crushing someone's skull, some traitorous elf's one.
Ray perceived that increase in strength with his Energy Records and gasped, similarly Anna, as the 'Administrator' watched the strength go up in numbers, even her own. That had been Haku's real intention from the start.
Elysir then walked forward, seeing as the wrath was starting to take over their minds, which was an undesired side-effect.
"Hmph, it is good if wrath motivates your actions. But remember, your bright future awaits you under your new god. This world has more to offer to you than just vengeance, there is happiness too, earn it with your hands" She extended her hands forward, and light seeped out, warm and lovely sunlight.
The sunlight washed over their bodies like their souls were being renovated.
Now they were ready. Haku created a portal to the outskirts of the Elf Kingdom and clapped her hands twice to get their attention.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Earn your honour back, show them that you are no longer slaves. Give them hell like what you have experienced, but remember, this place will also be your new home~".