Troubles of That Which Rule the Summit of Power

They say home is not a place but the feeling of warmth, security, and familiarity the people would bring. Totally different from the one I used to return to when I was just that typical noble lady. The Klein Estate back then would always feel empty, always quiet and everything would already be planned out. My father and brothers care for me to an extent for I was the only lady after my mother died, but I also know they care about appearances and our businesses more than anything else.

"We're family, aren't we?"

Now that I got to this position, they would often get me to handle certain things using that same tiresome line again and again, expecting me to just nod and agree to whatever they say. I got to the point it became so troublesome that I cut ties with them not because I don't care, just because I wanted to be left alone. I've always held my composure and 'kind lady' act in front of them all my life that at that moment they used that line again, I decided it was time to give myself some space. It's probably the reason why my ability is spatial manipulation in the first place.

The second home I've been to was the Academy where people began to see me not as someone who came from a powerful household, but as the rank seventh. I thought things would only get better from there, especially after I actually had real friends for once. My memories in the Academy with those two were certainly one of the best times of my life. But now I could only reminisce the times where I don't have to think about wars and strategies.

After so many years, this is probably the  only place I'd ever consider as a home. The last and the final. Everything here is comfortable, it'd get that way eventually after many years of staying here. Especially with the smell of smoke and metals blaring themselves through those almost empty halls except for a few soldiers on their usual patrols, though despite that emptiness, everything was noisy.

From early morning to midnight, that deafening sound of the workers doing their tasks with strange mechanisms here and there would do their utmost best in making sure none could ever sleep, as well as the clamours of heavily-fired artillery prototypes that would ring throughout the entire Avian Zone.

Well, it'd be strange if things around here aren't making any sort of noise, otherwise I would have ruled the place was under attack. Certainly, nobody would dare. The Avian Zone covers the entire territory of East. After half of Magnus drowned into the deepest of the ocean many years ago, what left of once productive and big country were the Eastern and Southern Territories.

Both Territories were already long comprised by my army, and the easiest thing is that after Magnus fell, the Saints had each fled. While we leave citizens to their own business, Magnus had stayed as a Military Country for over how many years even now. I built a large military garrison here in the East which could rival en entire city. However, the Avian Zone is different. It's similar to a Command Post where the main HQ is located but at the same time, it's also a facility only those with permission can get inside.

Not that anyone can sneak in when the Zone is exactly floating above the skies of Magnus. Avian Zone is a giant aircraft covered by the thick dense of smoke coming from the large pipes from underneath the aircraft that nobody could see it. The aircraft, of course, isn't completely done yet that it only ever stayed above Magnus.

I was the one who proposed and designed the outline plans for the Avian Project many years ago when I was just starting off as President of such a large army. Considering the damage we could deal using this, the idea of a giant air-based military headquarter that could house literally a city of armaments tempted me into making the project possible. However, Titania convinced me to halt the Avian Project and pooled all our military resources into building Acnolgíum that the project never came to be.

It was only five years ago after the success of Acnolgíum that I managed to direct the resources for a massive aircraft. Titania never said a thing about it, not that she particularly cared about the project but it was better than her telling me again to halt it. Plus, Titania is busy with her own World's Organization ordeals to deal with me. For five years, I had barely seen Titania visit me and even if she did, she would be gone days after.

It brought me think something is going on with the Organization for her to always look so stressed out, and then that she would often take it out on me. Pain never bothers me now, for over the course of years I had been under her abuses, it's not surprising really. I had made it my life goal to basically do the same to Titania someday. It's not that I couldn't, it's just not the right time I chose to endure all of her pain rather than retaliate.

All of my success these recent years had nothing to do with Titania, nor does she know what I'm truly capable of. She thinks I'm this same girl she had helped raised from the very beginning, always looking so weak and vulnerable. Hindi ko din naman siya masisisi. Inaamin ko na kumpara ngayon, walang-wala talaga ako noon. Sa sobrang hina ko ay wala akong magawa kundi umasa kay Titania at sa mga tao sa paligid ko.

Maraming bagay ang tinuro sa akin ni Titania, and she forced those lessons to me in a hard way that her teachings have been deep engraved inside me. But if there's one thing Titania taught me the best, it's the realization that my people are merely numbers. Numbers that I can give away. Numbers that I can offer. Numbers that keep multiplying every single day. Numbers that I can control.

From children that join for taining to adults who become proper soldiers, the Legion Army had grown so big that I could probably take over half of the world if I so wish for it. Pero wala akong planong bigyan ang sarili ko ng mas marami pang trabaho. Hindi ko pinipilit ang mga tao na sumali sa army, tanging marami mismo ang gustong sumali dahil sa buong mundo, tanging ang Magnus lang ang ligtas laban sa kumakalat na nether energy.

The surrounding countries are also under the Legion Army's rule hanggang sa tinawag nang parte ng Legion Empire ang ang lahat ng bansang sakop ng army. Doon namin nilalagay ang mga pamilya ng mga recruits. I made a law that no outsiders will enter my Empire unless one of their own family member will join the army. It was the reason why the L.A. had become so massive now.

Not only that, each soldier is injected by a lacrimal microchip after recruitment which are tiny bits of technology flowing within their blood. It would send a transmitter to the Avian System that would tell who had died in order for easier replacement. Especially how large the army is, nobody would probably notice if some soldier out there had already died without the microchip.

The Avian System is a supercomputer that basically tracks down those with the microchip. That way, my Generals are able to give commands easily. But it's not called a lacrimal microchip just because of that feature. It's also a way to absorb each soldier's excess spiritual energy that are being transported to the Avian System and from the System directly to the Source. This "Source" is a massive amount of stored energy that holds the Avian Zone hoisted up on the sky.

Tulad ng ng sinabi ko, hindi pa kompleto ang Avian Zone na hanggang ngayon ay hindi parin ito gumagalaw. Kulang pa ito ng sapat na enerhiya para lumipad sa kung saan saan kaya aabutin pa siguro ng dalawa o tatlong taon bago tuluyang magamit ang aircraft. Sa ngayon, ito ang magsisilbing Command Post ng buong Legion Army tsaka dito din ako namamalagi. Unless my enemies have a way to fly or magic that can break down the Zone's shield, this is the safest place anyone could ever live.

Tumayo ako mula sa inuupuan kong silya at nilagay ang mga kamay ko sa likod habang nakatingin sa pababang araw. The horizon spread in front of me, the slanting light rays glistening through the huge transparent wall where I stood behind. Buong araw na rin akong hindi nakalabas sa opisinang ito, pero kahit ni isa nitong nakalipas na limang taon, I have never missed the sight of sunset or sunrise. Looking at them somehow give me reprieve, as if such scenery is able to reset my mind and calm down these unnecessary turmoiling emotions inside me.

My Vanguards were able to take down the Coven last night, according to the reports they sent in this earlier morning. Mapapanatag na ako ngayong alam kong hindi na gagawa na kung ano pa ang Coven, maliban na lamang kung may mga nakatago pa silang myembro na gusto parin talagang kalabanin ang natitirang organisasyon.

Inaamin ko na nitong mga nakalipas na taon ay ang Coven talaga ang pinoproblema ko kaya isa-isa naming inatake ang mga branches nito. But someone out there had been helping us take that cult down. Then last night...I didn't actually think my Vanguards could really take down Coven's main HQ just like that. Although they were only there to finish things off, it was still an achievement. Matagal na naming pinaplanong patumbahin ang HQ ng Coven, hindi ko lang talaga inaasahan na may nakauna na at sa Legion Army lang napunta ang panalo.

I risk the lives of my people every single day. More than a hundred soldiers die in each and every battle my Generals order them to, which I had directly ordered my Generals. The chain of command is strong in my army, it's either they are loyal or doing this for the benefits of food, shelter, and money--whatever reason they may have, it doesn't matter because at the end of the day, sa akin parin susunod ang mga tauhan ko.

There are some who run away because of the traumas of the war and the difficulty in training as well as expectations. But where else could they possibly go? Those who defect are killed, their family exiled, and if they managed to escape still...then the microchip implanted will have no problem doing sucking their energy dry before the microchip itself electricute them. It might sound cruel, but my soldiers should have known what they signed up for from the start.

My Generals always ask me what I aim for, what my goal is. Of course I can't really tell anyone I'm planning to kill Titania when all my preparations are done. But before all of these began, before I became the Legion Empire's President, before I became all this powerful--I had that one goal. I only ever wanted to stand on the same platform as those two, that I didn't want to be left behind enough that I don't really know what to do now that I ruined everything.

For Andrea, it might have seemed like I helped Titania and Salem kill her, Andrea was there after all, she saw everything. But if I simply let her live and held myself back even knowing she couldn't generate energy, Titania might have had suspected my loyalty to her. I was loyal to that Fairy Queen because I had to survive, because there are still things I must do--that killing Titania is an even more important priority than that irrelevant 'friendship' we had.

I was blinded. I thought everything would be fine if the three of us actually work behind the shadows. That was the plan. We were supposed to be a team albeit the fact we always fought each other. We were supposed to be working hard to reach that platform where we could meet again. We were supposed to finish our own goals before our last battle together. I was the one who ruined all of those plans and Andrea must have hated me, she probably still does.

Looking back when I was just a teen, it wasn't my goal to have such a large army, it wasn't my goal to conquer countries, and it certainly wasn't my goal to kill Titania. I actually trusted that woman when I was just starting out. But my hatred grew for Titania so much that I didn't even hesitate sacrifice all those plans because I want to kill her, that nothing matters until I murder her with my own hands. That doesn't mean I'm not guilty though, only that my actions were necessary that I would do it again if I have to.

But she's still alive. We made it seem to the whole world that Legion Army managed to kill Caelesti of the Unknown, but even Titania knows she's still out there. Titania never really stopped looking for her all these years that it gave me so much time to hatch my moves, starting with the relics, then I'll just have to help the World's Organization set the things in motion before I actually start my own.

A sudden ring quickly dissolved my thoughts away like a drifting water flow as I turned around, directing my hand that wore a black glove to the wall. The white lines on my left hand that traced the gaps between my fingers turned purple, indicating an automatic activation as a holographic door appeared on the middle of the wall.

A woman then stepped inside, her straight poise and gentle elegance made me remember why she was the most suited as my secretary out of the rest of the possible ones. Nakasuot siya ng uniporme ng Legion Army, maliban na lang na hindi ito katulad ng suot ng mga sundalo. Battle soldiers wear their usual white full-body uniforms plated with dark platinum armours on the chest, elbows, and knees.

They also sometimes wear helmets that allow them to communicate with others and pinpoint target locations directed by the Avian System. Their gear uniforms also have technological features that only their fingerprints could access that they could still receive orders even when everything's a mess.

Administrative personnels who deal with information, equipments, assistance, and set things in motion behind the scenes often can be seen wearing a long black bishop long-sleeve with a well-tailored white collar that extended down the abdomen closed with laced buttons. The top is tucked in by a belt buckle that clasped around the waist, the sides attached downward by leather straps that connected to the white-fitted pants and ending with a pair of knee-high black combat boots.

And I myself wear a different set as privileged of being the Legion Empire's President. My uniform isn't all that different from administrative personnels, except that mine is more sophisticated in designs and have a long purple cape attached behind my left shoulder to the front of my right chest that covered my entire right arm. The only thing everyone wear the same is the Legion Army's insignia situated behind our specific uniforms and badges placed like a necklace around the collarbone.

Grisela had been a loyal secretary of mine for years now. She was one of the many victims who had been trying to run away from the Beast People four years ago after those animals conquered her hometown. She was from a fallen noble family De Veend  and had been fending off for herself since then. Her long white and silk-like hair and lilac eyes were an indication she was indeed from a noble household, if her gracefulness and intelligence aren't enough as a proof.

I was surveying the always-winter country called Winchestern that had recently fallen under the Legion Empire, when I found her. Matalino siya at mapagkatiwalaan, marami din siyang naitulong dito sa Avian Zone. Isa siya sa mga taong tumulong sa pag-program ng System at dahil sa kaniya, naitaas namin ang Avian Zone. Si Grisela ang tumulong sa akin sa pag-desinyo ng aircraft. Kulang nga lang ito sa enerhiya, pero kung wala siya ay hindi magiging posible ang Avian Project.

"Grisela," I called as the space where the door appeared closed behind her as soon as she entered. "What brings you here? If it's about the meeting with Duke Vastian from Phovaria, let them know I already have the records. I will meet him before seven this evening to discuss further developments."

Tumingin muna siya sa mga papeles na nakatambak sa ibabaw ng lamesa ko bago ibinalik sa akin ang atensyon nito at nagsalita. "I have come to announce that the Legion Vanguards have arrived and have requested a direct appointment with the President."

Kumunot naman ang noo ko sa sinabi niya. "They went directly here? They aren't supposed to be back after tomorrow." And even if they did, they're supposed to be resting. They literally just finished a large battle last night."

"They have insisted that they meet you as soon as possible. For the meantime, I have already assigned them to the waiting room so they could rest while awaiting for further orders from you."

"I will meet them later in the evening, I must attend to my own needs first. I still have an hour before the discussion with Duke Vastian. If I got late, call General Carmel in my stead."

"Understood. What about the papers needed to be returned in two hours? Those papers are reports awaiting for approval in proposal of launching a small security base by the small island near Quiland."

I opened the drawer underneath the desk, taking out a small palm-sized white rectangular object with the name 'Operation Quiland' on it, giving the item to my secretary. It was thin and very light--almost seemingly translucent if it weren't for the obvious blue lines on its surface. It was an object where data no matter how big, is being stored that they usually just place it on a data receiver for the scanner to read the information stored inside.

"Give that data drive to Officer Mckenzie. Tell him the orders stated inside are under his options. If he deemed it impossible with his current team, abort the operation."

"That shall be done. Also, the First Airborne Division under General Paz insist to launch directive measures to Vesulia."

I already sent out an order this morning to withdraw all the troops, leaving a small battalion behind to buy the leading army out of the country to Vesulia. Those Dragonbornes will most likely take the bait and assume the country as theirs after the army leaves, but that's the plan. Gusto kong isipin nilang nananalo na sila at kung lahat ng forces namin sa Elydia at napunta na sa Vesulia, tuluyan ko nang wawasakin ang mga Dragonbornes na iyon.

Since the beginning, I moved a part of my army to Elydia to draw the Dragonborne there. The success against Coven is just the beginning, isusunod kong patumbahin ang Dragonbornes and I will do that by making Elydia explode. Sa totoo lang ay hindi pa dapat ngayon ang oras para sa ganiyan, but the fall of Coven last night finally convinced me that there are people out there who's trying to eliminate organizations. Kaya minamadali ko na ngayon ang plano.

"Directive measures?" Nagtataka kong tanong. "May nangyari ba?"

"The forces you sent in Vesulia are having a problem. They sent a report in just thirty minutes ago to the Airborne Division that something is going in Elydia. The last they saw were few numbers of Dragonbornes trying to fly out of the country and our escaping battleships sinking before some sort of red smokes engulfed everything."

Napahawak ako sa bridge ng ilong ko nang naramdaman ko 'yung pamilyar na sakit dahil dumadami na naman ang problema. Hindi ko pa nga nakakalahati ang mga paperworks ko at dumagdag pa ito. May mga Generals nga akong nakatala sa bawat Divisions pero

"And they haven't searched the surrounding waters for any clues?"

"They did. Also, the searching party that was deployed couldn't enter Elydia. There is a barrier surrounding the country."

"What about the company's deciphering personnels? Surely the forces I moved to Vesulia still have a lot of resources to take down that barrier."

"They had tried. But they could not analyze the intricate magic formations used behind the barrier. It is almost...