Comiak
patreon
Chapter 199: Other's Perspective 3
🕑 Added 2022-08-27 03:36:42 +0000 UTC-
-
-
-
-
Got some editing suggestions? Suggest it on the Google docs here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14yvvDTAeRqhrXmnVG49MkpeSZqHGoOmj7QpIJdplZgQ/edit?usp=sharing
________________________________________________________________________________
“The rebellion has captured and killed three governors so far...”
Sentaro Klaman listens to the report, sitting at a round table with the rest of the administrators.
“The people refuse to pay the increased taxes, and there are reports of several men in the army deserting because of the lack of pay...”
More bad news from the finance administrator. They haven’t received any Runalymo goods yet, and it will be another month before they expect them to arrive.
“Reports of bandits in the empire are on the rise in almost every region...”
Perhaps he went about this all wrong. Was it his actions that finally tipped the Empire over the cliff? The fool of an emperor was making a lot of bad decisions, but at least the empire maintained some semblance of stability.
“Slaves are revolting and joining the rebellion…”
The longer this meeting goes on, the worse the situation seems. By removing the corrupt governors, Klaman somehow removed a cornerstone supporting the Empire. Criminal organizations that had deals with those governors then ran unchecked. In response, he removed those organizations, too, but that didn’t solve the issue; instead, there was an increase in petty crime and murders, and the rebellion was strengthened. Every action he took just made things worse.
Klaman is no ruler, this much was obvious, but he didn’t know he would make things this bad. He only saw one problem, governors dealing with criminals. He didn’t consider that there were good effects to those deals. Sure the primary reason was greed, but that greed was precedented on the stability of the empire, a necessary evil since corrupt governors needed to put some effort into keeping the citizens content.
The criminal organizations would help the governor by self-regulating and keeping petty thugs under control, but he upset that delicate balance.
The people need someone to rally behind, a more competent ruler. The steward is doing his best but has to deal with the fallout of his actions.
I’ve been so focused on finding the right ruler that I’ve forgotten the most important thing, a competent ruler. He still has no doubt that Alysara would eventually make for a great empress, but she is still young. Still, her [Acting] skill will help her inexperience.
“Is there any good news?” Klaman asks, after the endless reports of bad news.
“Unfortunately, there is not,” The steward says after taking measured glances at the other administrators.
Klaman sighs. “Do what you think is best for the Empire,” he says before teleporting to the Hall of Memorial.
He finds the statue of his dear old friend and sits against the wall next to it.
“Everything is going wrong. The Empire is falling apart, your bloodline is rotting, and it’s all my fault. I have failed you. I did what I thought was best, but I ended up making everything worse. I should have been more proactive, should have mentored your descendants better, should have prioritized talent when your bloodline failed.” He lets out a long and heavy sigh.
“I fear it may be too late. I wanted it all. I wanted to preserve your true royal lineage; I wanted your line to rule forever. I suppose your daughter, Lanya, is the only one you should be proud of. You never cared she didn’t share the same royal trait as you; I don’t know why I did.”
Perhaps it was never meant to be. The true Lunaleyan heritage was never about this land; it was about the land they came from, the land the Runalymo are from. In a twist of fate, it was never Lunaleyan in the first place; it was always a Runalymo trait, that’s why there were several of them that had royal blue hair. If that’s the case, then what can he call true Lunaleyan?
Regardless Alysara is powerful, talented, and has great potential to be the best empress this land has yet to see, and that’s what the empire needs right now. But for his friend’s descendants? He was born in this land, raised in it, fought for it, and sought to unite it. It’s time his bloodline becomes what it should have always been, Lunaleyan.
Suddenly several notifications start flowing in, notification of a dragon slaying something he can’t understand. Other than the oddity, he pays just as much attention to it as any other message of monsters slaying monsters until another shows up.
Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has freed the Saintess of the Runalymo, Kayafe, the Runalymo, and completed the Mana Arc!
Saintess of Mana and Magic? She has already received a title?! And who is Kayafe? What is the Mana Arc? In any case, the Runalymo has another powerful person; could she be the one Alysara wanted to talk with?
What does this mean? Now that he thinks about it, Kayafe is similar to the first empress’s name, are they related? Or…
It slowly dawns on him as he thinks how the language might have drifted over the millennia.
Is Kayafe the First Empress?!
It would make sense now that Alysara might want to consult her, but she also freed her. Why was Kayafe imprisoned? Speculating won’t take him anywhere; it would be best to ask Alysara herself.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ting! The Saintess of Mana and Magic, Alysara, the Runalymo, has discovered how to cleanse cursed Skills!
“She was telling the truth…” Lorana Lanya mutters, setting down her paperwork.
This must mean that she managed to cleanse her cursed skill, something not even her, the Grand Healer of Helikan, has been able to do. Not even Healer can do something like that, and it can revive the recent dead!
“Damn you, Klaman!” If it wasn’t for his meddling, she could have that knowledge already! Now it’s going to cost her even more to get that knowledge. What can she trade for it? Alysara doesn’t need healing anymore now that her curse is cured.
“I know that look; you want to know how she did it” A familiar voice speaks behind her.
“You know,” Lanya turns to Klaman, anger in her eyes. “She actually offered it to me for payment for her healing, but I couldn’t accept it because of that favor.”
“Was it confirmed at that time?” Klaman asks. “She might have known, but it was just her word, right? Would you really have accepted that as payment?”
Lanya sighs, breathing out her anger. He’s right, Alysara had admitted it was unconfirmed, and she would have probably asked for another form of payment, like one of her magical items.
“She may have been able to convince me,” Lanya replies, unwilling to give Klaman any satisfaction. “What are you here for anyway?”
“You don’t have anything worth trading for it, right? Let me help you I—”
“No!” Lanya interrupts him. “I am not going to be indebted to you again! I can pay for it myself.”
“Lanya,” Klaman sighs, adopting a softer tone. “I need your help.”
Klaman sits on the window sill and buries his face in his hands. Lanya tries to speak but is unable to say anything. Klaman has never shown vulnerability.
“Everything I do to fix the Empire has only made it burn down faster. The steward is capable but can’t keep up with my mistakes. We need aid, financial support, and good leadership. I’m betting on Alysara to make things right. She’s talented but young; she’ll need your wisdom if she agrees to lead the Empire. But before that happens, there needs to be an Empire. I’m not trying to gain favors; I’m asking for one.”
“Klaman.” Lanya finally finds her voice. “I will help you, but you must realize that the empire you swore to protect died a long time ago.”
“What do you mean?” Klaman looks up to meet her eyes.
“The empire isn't the same from four hundred years ago, Klaman, it shares the same name and land, but those don’t make a country. Its culture, government, laws, and even language have drifted; it doesn’t even look the same as it did when my father ruled. It’s time you let it go, remember it for what it was, but accept that, like a flower, it wilted. That is what countries are, flowers. They live, they prosper, then they wilt and die; they are not like gemstones that remain forever.”
“This is all I have, Lanya! I can’t let it go.” Klaman says, almost begging.
“Then maybe it’s time to start investing in something other than the Empire. Regardless I’ll give you the help you need, but what do you plan on giving Alysara for the knowledge on how to cure cursed skills? You don’t have much worth giving, and you’ve already promised some leviathan materials for trade with the Runalymo.”
“And she’s getting some from Vocana too,” Klaman adds. “I don’t think she’ll be as interested in our magic items, and we can’t really afford to trade them away. Besides, she’d probably be more interested in materials.”
“But any materials you can offer her she is already getting or isn’t as good,” Layana says, voicing the problem.
“Yes, just like you, we don’t have the means to get that knowledge… well, expect one,” Klaman pauses.
“The meteorite?” Lanya asks.
During his conquests, her father found a meteorite with the timeless tier. It will keep regenerating if broken, but the broken pieces are only ancient tier, losing their regenerative property.
“Yes. It’s exalted and timeless tier, a renewable resource of exalted ore, or she can reshape it into a more powerful weapon. The empire has been using it to make armor and weapons for the Royal Knights, but with the Runalymo, they can make weapons and armor or at least provide better enchantments. They aren’t exclusive in enchanting services.”
“I see. The world is changing, and we must direct that change; that is what it means to be a ruler, Klaman. We cannot stop change from happening; we can only guide it. Remember the past, plan for the future, and live in the present; that is what you need to do. Stop living in the past.”
Klaman remains silent for several minutes before vanishing from the room without a word. Had her words reached him? She hopes so.
“Well, I guess I have a lot more work to do now,” Lanya complains before returning to her paperwork.
Comments
Tjark
If he would have died, he would have never become the better person. But he also wouldn't have made 400 years of likely bad ruling. So yes, never might have actually been better for the many people living over these 400 years.
Emil Johnér
I think klaman will be the one joining alysara instead, cause of lanyas advice.
Nematrec
not likely. It didn't show any growth when Alysara dumped most of her mana pool into it, and irl trees grow *very* slow. Especially the more interesting trees. Looking to at least 50 years if it grows at a rate similar to real life.
Nematrec
I was thinking getting the heirloom tier to legacy might be a legendary feat, and that definitely would be a good point to put into your race if it isn't already legendary.
Squirtle
A natural birth will only have a child be Exalted, you can't be born Legendary. Certain creatures are spawned as Legendary. Dragons, Kaiju, Titans, Elementals, Fairies are spawned in realms at Legendary tier(i may have forgotten a race). So no you can't be born as Legendary, only spawned, it's 2 entirely different things.
Collateral_ink
Implanting the heart of a dead god into you, or even just wearing it, is usually not a smart move in fiction. Tends to lead to the, "I hear dead people..." arc.
Azur Kris
Maybe she will get a legendary achievment for creating an exalted race that is more powerful than a regular legendary race. Would be the perfect point to upgrade to legendary tier.
Pawzom Lz
While I dont particularly care one way or another for seeing her rule a people that arent hers, this will make for a really good training arc, which is what I suspect is coming up next. Making items at home and helping her people develop airship and magical technologies while teaching them mana/magic skills/knowledge. And abroad she rules as an empress and turns the empire into a military force supplied by Runalymo weaponry and warships? It will help her get plenty of achievements, which will help her race and class evolutions while helping her train Acting, Twin Minds and Multitask once she gets it. This is exactly the kind of thing having clones is perfect for. I'm sure I missed plenty of other things it would also be beneficial for.
Paladin
I honestly believe that she should not become an empress and focus on what she is good at which is studying magic, and creating magic items
Pawzom Lz
''You as an individual can not be born as a legendary, but your race can be. '' is a bit weird as when the race is legendary the individual is also counted as legendary, and even immortal as in will never die of old age. Its not only legendary classes that makes them legendary individuals, it does however(if I understand it right) usually give a bigger boost to their overall power since racial traits are not something most people can control so they might be a little bit of everyhing, but they can control the class skills. Maybe I just misunderstood what you meant here? Humans are all born as exalted, and in order to reach legendary they need to accomplish this same as everyone else not born/spawned as legendary. From a side chapter I think it was mentioned its more difficult for creatures born as exalted to gain good classes since they need more achievements due to being born so strong or some such. This is the main reason I originally thought Aly's heirloom race would eventually start them out as lowest tier and up 1 tier every evolution so they can get better classes at first.
D
You as an individual can not be born as a legendary, but your race can be. Dragons, Elementals and Humans are all Legendary races. MC's heirloom race might be a mythic tier at the end of the story. But if her descendants want to become legendary them self (or higher), they have to archive the legendary tier on their own. Im not certain why my previous posters are so adamant about that races cant be legendary from the get go, when the story (to my memory (might be wrong)) stated that humans, as a race, are legendary tier.
rvs
she also still has some celestial essence from the ritual
Giperman
I feel like Klaman's POV did not have the right flow. It felt too direct, like he's thinking "If only Alysara was there", and knowing that Alysara thinking the same it feels a bit forced. I guess I have a problem not with Klaman's POV but with this Empress thing being a bit out of nowhere.
Collateral_ink
At this point, Klaman probably couldn't put her on the throne and have it amount to much anyway. Best chance he has is to have her infiltrate the resistance and "lead it to victory" and take power that way.
crue
Hmm did the tree Aly planted grow yet?
Pawzom Lz
Which is why I said heart/core and my other suggestion was to add it to her tiara? If I believed it looked like an actual heart and not a gem I would not have suggested that.
Jemini
It's the heart of a spirit, which have biologies very similar to elementals. As in, the only reason it would be externally humanoid in form is by reason of imitation, it's insides would not function the same at all. As such, the heart of Bimora is probably shaped in a manner that's closer to a slime core than a human heart.
Pawzom Lz
She got heirloom unique race which may be the only way for people to be born legendary in this world. Nobody has gotten a heirloom race that far yet so we wouldnt know if its possible or not. ALSO, Aly's descendants would not technically be born at legendary tier but a lower one with fewer tails and only later get legendary tier once they become older. Would not necessarily be a good thing even as that would just make them targets for others that would want somewhat easier to achieve legendary points. Slavery is also a thing in many nations and I'm sure some of them would love to farm a race that would reach legendary just by growing up, the legendary point of which would definitely be mana/magic based if they are not given the opportunity to further themselves in other fields.
Pawzom Lz
Could use it as the heart/core of a clone made out of solid/liquid mana with other materials after she gains manipulate magic to try to craft a clone that do not suffer from her normal distance limiters? Or add it onto her tiara and make it a crown?
ShotoGun
Dumb idea here. Implant heart to make a second heart. Or use it to make a super golem.
Jemini
If she uses it on the staff, her clones won't even need to use it. Staff is an item that just gives it's bonuses.
AClassroomSpider
thank you for the chapter!. .
TaylorTot
If she uses the Metorite to make an item, I bet it will have the ability that all of her clones can use it.
Robert Mullins
Better late than never, a phrase often used by people who's definition of late is bounded by a normal human lifespan
lan kanl
Klaman Becoming The Person He Should Have Been After 400 Years
Jemini
Not Legendary tier, but it is possible to achieve Legendary equivalent by going outside the system. Pretty much, the tiers are a system-provided power while things like magic can get you the same power outside of the system. It would essentially give you the same immortality and the system would award a legendary point for killing a legendary equivalent, but it wouldn't get the system +5,000% bonus for being Legendary. (Also, while Exalted is the highest tier you can be born at, something tells me that heirloom tier with something like 5 very high-end evolved skills would basically be a Legendary equivalent, in terms of power if not the immortality and point award factors (Or actually... yeah, maybe the point award if their class is also Exalted.) I'm predicting a future in which Alysara's descendants will have it as part of their culture that you are not considered an adult unless you evolve to Legendary.)
Robert Mullins
Previously I had guessed the goddess heart would be used to improve her staff, and just a minute ago Tribute on discord pointed out that the staff is celestial themed and this exalted material just happens to be from outerspace. Coincidence? Maybe. But probably not
Robert Mullins
Nope, highest you can achieve is exalted without a point. Same with being born, highest is exalted. A few special creatures can spawn at legendary. Like dragons or elementals but that's special cases and doesn't apply to the whole race. Only those that the realm spawns directly are legendary. Like Safyr who was spawned legendary vs Yrania who would have been born exalted.
Straven
Thank you for another great read, was wondering how some of the others would react and now we know a bit of them.
TaylorTot
"Didnt you cleanse your cursed skill!" "Yeah. One of them." "One of them!?!? How many cursed skills do you have?!"
Colm Ryan
Is it possible to achieve Legendary Tier without using a Legendary Achievement Point?
Maury
thank you for the chapter
Robert Mullins
Ready for Lanya to be confused as hell when Aly drains her anima again while using these new materials. On the other hand, she can take Aly up on her previous offer in terms of payment.
Alphafenrir401
Honestly Klaman is one of my favorite characters he feels like a misguided antihero he means well he just doesn't know how to do the right thing and also let go of the past
Thistle's Dragon
Thank you for the chapter! Glad to see Klaman getting some character development now that becoming queen is actually on the table
