The Greatest Sin [Progression Fantasy][Kingdom Building] Chapter 680 – Helping Those Who Don’t Want Help

What is an archangel? A higher race of creature in Paraideisius? Seemingly, that is all they are. Much like there are direwolves and dogs, or tigers and cats, or great sharks compared to their more common cousins, archangels are just another race of creature that happens to be gifted by fate to excel. Demonic royalty is much the sa, Leonifer bears the pristine white horns of his bloodline, and that bloodline shall be guarded so zealously that the only demonesses to bear true heirs to his throne will be own kin. Both are worlds clutched tightly in fate’s grasp to the point of choking. The fate of a demon with horns black is as expendable fodder, an angel without the twenty-four wings shall never rule.

Worlds clutched tightly in fate’s grasp, that struggle only insofar as to secure their existence, and then lie in wait for comfort. Paraideisius has achieved it already, they have reached their end of history. They have no more challenges, no more willingness to fight, the only threat they have is one of Tartarus, and that they don’t even take seriously. It is proof of the excellence of Arda that Allasaria and Helenna managed to convince them to join their war against .

Tartarus is more noble in this regard, but their struggle is self-destructive and aimless. They breed themselves like rabbits, the kinder of us call it litters, the more realistic use the correct terminology: swarms. The Tartarian population bomb will never be solved because the only way reasoning they have to solve it is to continue their relentless expansion. There is no end-goal, they will simply expand their kingdoms endlessly until their world becos a tropolis, and then they shall enter a crisis that is obvious for all to see, but them.

The difference is one of satisfaction. On Arda, we know of the word, but none of us know what it ans. Here, satisfaction is temporary. It is the feeling achieved in the imdiacy after a success. It is one of our most intense narcotics, and it is one that we build up a tolerance up to quickly. The world was saved from Gaia’s grasp, and the satisfaction of burning down the woods quickly ended. The world was freed from monsters, then from the dragons, and we quickly realised that we had conquered all the satisfactions it had to give.

Divine Tyranny, Magocracy and the Age of Heroes were our own challenges. Worldbreaking ended that era of heedless power-grabbing. Reconstruction brought on satisfaction, but the only reason it ant anything was because Worldbreaking remained within living mory. The Reconstruction Authority lasted sixty years. Many of us say it was a great experint of Divinity working together. Was it? Or was it that a century later, on the Divines and the elves could recall the chaos of Worldbreaking?

For that is Arda, a world that struggles endlessly, a world that needs to struggle to feel alive. Now, we see the satisfaction of Paraideisius and the single-mindedness of Tartarus and we spit on them. And rightfully so, a life spent content is a life wasted.

They say Arda is a cornered rat that bites because it feels threatened. No. Arda is a cornered rat that bites because biting is what it was made for.

- Excerpt from the private writings of God Arascus, of Pride.

“I want to go on a holiday with you!” It was over. Kavaa knew it was over. She was utterly out of options and now, she was begging like so teenage girl. What was this drama? Kassandora stared over a battleplan in her own hotel room, the only reason she had stayed in Apoli was because Arascus had demanded it, else she would be on a train north and Kavaa would be sowhere with her. “On a date at least!” It was the least they could do. Pax was dead! Pax was fucking dead! Pax had been fucking killed by Kassie’s plan and the woman wasn’t even celebrating! She had not even opened a bottle for fuck’s sake!

“I’m busy.” Kassandora replied dryly.

“Oh yeah?” Kavaa hissed back. So busy that she couldn’t even change out of the military coat? So busy that she was still wearing the sa clothes since before the battle? The celebrations had gone on, Agrita had given her speeches, Kassandora had attended and waved, then left. Fer, Maisara and Fortia sohow could do it! Those three seemingly had integrated with each other very well! That was the most infuriating part of all of it! Those three were drinking, going on walks, laughing, brawling. WHAT THE FUCK! SINCE WHEN DID FORTIA AND MAISARA ENJOY THEMSELVES!?

“I am!” Kassandora replied hurriedly. It felt like fate was playing a ga on Kavaa. It was as simple as that. She had even rang Malam and Helenna for help. Those two always knew how to handle difficult people and Kassandora was the most difficult person of all. And the advice of both had been to simply take charge of the situation. Frankly, it was less advice and it was just a priming of Kavaa’s rage. She had been called every curse and every slur in the book by those two. Well, they succeeded in in getting her mad.

She was not going to take this shit. Not from Kassandora, not from Malam, especially not from Helenna when that woman was not slick in romance either! “Are you now?” Kavaa hissed. “Doing what exactly?”

“I’m planning!” Kassandora said. Planning was all she did. Forever. It was like having a little gremlin lock herself up in her room and forget the sun was outside.

“Well…” Kavaa didn’t even know what to say. “Well TOUGH!” She shouted. “We’re going on holiday, to celebrate your victory and because you need it!”

“I don’t!” Kassandora shouted back as if she was getting hurt. Kavaa knew this ga by now though. It was how it always went. Kassandora would beco a cute little kitten, and then Kavaa would feel bad, and she’d let her stay holed up here.

This would go on endlessly, it always did. One of them said yes, the other said no. And neither would budge. Good thing she had ran Malam, the Goddess of Hatred truly lived up to her na, she was the worst creature in existence, and she had ideas so devilish that Kavaa would never think of them. “I’ll ring your father.” Kassandora froze for a mont. She finally stood up from that ssy desk of her to face Kavaa, eyes wide open, mouth slightly ajar.

“You would do not such thing.”

“I can’t make you do it.” Kavaa said. “But I know who can.”

“That’s…” Kassandora said. “That’s unfair. It’s not…” She straightened out and then took a deep breath. The sa tone that was used for battleplans ca out. “For one, you cannot do this to , it’s unfair and not the sort of thing that stable relationships are built upon. For two, you would just be relying on Arascus, not on yourself. I like you Kavaa, but it would be a huge betrayal of trust. For three…” Kavaa’s eyes glazed over and her ears tuned the order out as she stood there. Kassandora was right of course, but Kassandora was just saying things that were correct and intelligent no matter how wrong they were.

Sothing, being correct and intelligent did not matter. Kassandora was a genius in tactics and strategy, and she could successfully trick sothing that seemingly had the universe’s protection, but she was wrong on everything else. “We’re going.” Kavaa cut off point seven.

“What?” Kassandora said. “Didn’t you just hear ?”

“I’ve made the decision.” Kavaa said. “I’ll choose a place, I expect you to be there.”

“There’s a war going on!” Kassandora shouted.

“So there is.” Kavaa said. “Are you at the front line?”

Kassandora, for once, had to take a mont to response. Maybe soone else wouldn’t catch it, but Kavaa did. Kassie knew she was wrong, and if she didn’t, then it didn’t matter anyway. They were going on a fucking trip for her own damn good. “I’m more important than the front line!”

That was true. Kavaa didn’t have an argunt, nor did she care to give one. “I’ll find a spot. If you don’t bring your own clothes, then I’ll ask Malam and Helenna for your asurents.” Kavaa stared at Kassie. “Actually, I’ll ask them anyway, Helenna will have sothing for you.”

“I DON’T WANT CLOTHES!” Kassandora said.

Kavaa was having none of it. She would drag Kassie kicking and screaming sowhere if she had to. The woman needed a rest. “Do you want public or private?”

“WHAT!?” Kassandora shouted.

“Public venue or private?” Kavaa said. “That’s your choice and your input.”

Kassandora held the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “Kavaa, I’m the commander of the Imperial Ard Forces. I can’t just…” She trailed off, Kavaa didn’t give her the chance to speak.

“The war won’t end because you’re not planning.” She said. “A week won’t kill you.” A week was far too much, a week would be excellent, but there was no way in hell Kassandora would ever agree to a week. That was a flat-out impossibility. But this wasn’t about being fair, this manipulation, pure and simple. And Kavaa didn’t even care. She had asked Helenna and Malam for help. The worst part of this was that it was working. Their manipulative little tactics.

“I cannot do a week!” Kassandora said.

There it was. Just as Helenna had told her, this was the mont she had won. Kassandora had just agreed that her ti could be spent with Kavaa, now, it was just a negotiation on how much ti Kavaa could strangle out of her. “A week.”

“A day.”

“Six.”

“Two.”

“Five.”

“Three.”

“Four.”

“Three and a half.”

“Done.” Kavaa said, grabbed Kassandora’s hand and shook on it before Of War could realise what was even happening. Kassandora stared down at her own hand as she realised she was shaking on it.

“But…”

“You want this too, I know you do.” Kavaa said. “And you promised it, and now is a good a ti as any.” Kassandora took a deep breath and shook her head.

“But the war is still going on.” She said.

“That’s not stopped Fer from making new friends, has it?” Now that she forced Kassandora to agree, she had to complain. And Malam and Helenna had said the sa thing. Get her agree, then change the conversation as quickly as possible to force her to get back on the topic. Terrible, downright terrible, Kavaa didn’t feel good about it, but those two knew how to break n. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH THEM ANYWAY!?” She said. “Did you see them!?”

“No.” Kassandora said quietly as she looked at her hand and then shook her head. “And what did you plan to go, I want to know.”

“I was thinking the beach.” Kavaa said. Malam said Kassandora would hate that and propose her own idea. She got back to talking about Fortia and Maisara. “They all got drunk with Fer. The whole lot of them. And we’re here.”

“What about the mountains?” Kassandora said. “And I…”

“My place then?” Perfect. It was fine. She would invite Kassandora back to Lubska. That was good enough. There were trees there, and lakes. They could swim. A thousand different ideas on what to do entered her mind. Helenna’s smarmy little voice echoed in her mind: Keep her off her toes. Keep changing the conversation. Make sure she has to convince you to go through with it. Terrible advice, but Kavaa had terrible friends. “Arascus t Agrita, did you see that too? I saw them.

“Your place is fine.” Kassandora said. “Agrita is just being told about the Rilia plan.”

“Do you have a coat? It’s snowing there.” Kavaa replied. A dual conversation, where both of them were pretending that they were more interesting in the latter half and not the forr. “Ah we retaking Rilia then? Is that what you’re doing?” Her voice was calm now, so was Kassie’s.

“I have this.” Kassandora looked down at herself. “And no, the Rilia plan is done, I’m just thinking through contingencies for every Prince we know of.”

“We should go shopping then to get you a coat.” Kavaa said. The fact that Kassandora was actually wasting her ti on this non-issue, when everyone knew that no Prince would co here because Olephia was in the area was infuriating. This is what she wanted to do instead of spending ti with Kavaa!? Seriously?! “Can’t Olephia handle everything?”

“I don’t like shopping.” Kassandora said. Of course she didn’t. The woman liked precisely nothing. “And yeah, Olephia would. I’m just thinking of which ones could co in from the sea. That would force her out of position for a while.”

“Well you do need a winter coat.” Kavaa said. “I’ll buy you one, it’ll be my treat.”

“Kavaa…” Kassandora imdiately moaned.

“Winter coat, shopping.” Kavaa realised her mistake. She could not realise she was actually doing this. “Have you got a Be’elzebub contingency?”

“I’ll do the shopping then if you insist.” Kassandora said. “And yeah, he’s the main one. Agrita and her unit will have a pesticide unit with her.”

“Do you have a swimsuit? I have a pool.” Kavaa said. This fucking back and forth was working. It was the worst! Kassandora was the worst! Kavaa herself was the worst! They were all terrible! Why was this even working?! She quickly tried to scour her mind for any interesting piece of strategic trivia everyone knew an answer to, but it would Kassandora the excuse she needed to speak. “And after, we’re activating the air force?”

Kassandora took a deep breath and looked down at her shirt. “I do, believe it or not, enjoy swimming.” Kavaa blinked, utterly taken aback at what she just heard. Kassandora enjoyed sothing? Since when? And why had she never swam then? “And I don’t think so, the ash is still heavy in the atmosphere. Arascus is planning an atmospheric cleanse but that’s not my desne.”

“What?” Kavaa asked.

“It’s with towers in Epa and magical winds aid towards them. We’ll just drag the ash back to them and hopefully that should work well enough.”

“I ant the swimming.”

“Oh.” Kassandora said, then nodded and looked away. “Yeah…. I… I float.” She said it as if it was embarrassing. All of them floated. There wasn’t a Divine out there who didn’t know how to swim.

“You float?”

“I float.” Kassandora said it like a declaration, like she was giving an order to start another operation. Kavaa just stood there and burst out in laughter. Kassandora rolled her eyes.

“No no!” Kavaa said. “I don’t! I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you.” Kassandora replied with a slow blink. “I float too!” Kavaa said. “Alright, we’ll swim together.” There we go. Finally sothing out of her. Finally.

“Alright.” Kassandora said. “We’ll swim together.” She took a deep breath. “Sorry Kavaa.”

“Why are you sorry?”

“For being difficult. Thanks.” She passed her arm forward. “Yeah. I…” She pursed her lips. “I have nothing to say in a situation like this, but I’m excited to swim with you.”

The loveliest words Kavaa had ever heard. She shook Kassandora’s hand with far too much force to hide her excitent. “I am too.”

Dragged kicking and screaming to a holiday, for her own fucking good. Kavaa couldn’t believe it.