Path to the Apocalypse

"Could- could you repeat that?" Albert asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Tamara is being backed by the Hidden Blades in an attempt to go Empire, but I've arranged a deal for us to defect in exchange for the safety of us and our people." Victoria repeated. "We don't have to take it, obviously, but if we don't, I'm pretty sure we're all dead. Or at least, everyone except me. The Hidden Blades are actually the ones who gave me the Potion of Awakening, along with a guarantee of admittance into the sect, so I'd probably just get taken by them, because they probably wouldn't want to kill someone with my potential. Unless, of course, they consider me a potential threat, in which case, yes, we're back to all of us being dead."

Albert blinked at her a few times, before letting out a groan and covering his face with his hands. "Victoria, I can't-"

"Hey, you're the one who said family, people, land, power." Victoria pointed out. "The land isn't salvageable. Farova is done. We can maintain a bit of power, and save our people and our family. I don't think we can get a better deal. Even if we managed to get this to the other sects, it'd turn our lands into the front lines of a sect war, and that- that would be bad."

Albert a pained groan. "Okay, yes, but… do you even comprehend the gravity of all this?!? You're asking me to betray my nation! My oaths! This isn't just stepping back and letting the Tamarins through. The Lord Inspector has already called for the Duke's men! If we don't fight the Tamarins, how do you think they'll react? No, not even that! In order to keep our deal with the Tamarins, we will have to fight the Duke's men, to keep them from fighting the Tamarins!"

"Well, actually the deal with the Tamarins, or more accurately the Hidden Blades, doesn't really hinge on not fighting them. I… sort of promised them access to this thing I have which will make their attempt to go Empire a whole lot easier. I mean, let's be honest, if they were in a position where they would be worried about Farova, they wouldn't be trying to go Empire." Victoria explained. "I'm sure they wouldn't give two shits if we fought them. The issue would be our people would end up dying when they don't have to. Same thing if we fight the Duke's men, though… shit, that will be a problem, huh?" Victoria sighed. "Damn it! All I'm trying to do is avoid turning our lands into a damn battlefield!"

"Victoria…" Albert sighed. "Okay, if-" He paused. "Wait, what are you giving the Hidden Blades!?! How-" He froze, unable to articulate all the questions and concerns he had.

Victoria coughed awkwardly. "I have this… well, I call it the system. It'll let the Hidden Blades pretty much ignore all their logistical issues, which as you know, makes war a hell of a lot easier. I've had it ever since I woke up from the Potion of Awakening. It's sort of been helping with my cultivation."

Albert pinched the bridge of his nose. "If you have this 'system', how does it help them?"

"I can give it to other people." Victoria replied.

"Then… why did you not tell me about it?!?" Albert exclaimed.

"Well… the last world it spread in sort of got destroyed by what I can only assume was a god." Victoria responded with another awkward cough. "I've been trying to be careful, since I don't want the same thing to happen to our world, but… Well, I couldn't think of any other way to save us, and if I'm going to have to choose between absolutely being fucked and maybe being fucked, I'm choosing the latter. Plus, the system was way more… disruptive in the other world, which may have been the issue, but here it'd just be a cultivation aid, so it should be safer.”

Albert took a deep breath, paused, took another one, blinked, turned around, and walked away. Victoria blinked in confusion. "Uh… Father?" Albert kept walking, simply raising a hand and waving. "Uh…" Victoria blinked again. Did she break him? She broke him. That- that could not be good.

*

"My Lord?" Maurice asked tentatively, approaching Albert as he stood at the edge of the castle wall, staring blankly at the town. "Is- is everything alright?"

"Oh, it's fine." Albert replied blandly. "Everything is fine."

Maurice frowned. "I see… it's just you've been standing here, not moving, for about four hours now… the men are becoming concerned." Albert grunted, continuing to stare out over the town, not saying anything. Maurice sighed, settling in to wait for the Marquis to be ready to talk. "If you had to choose…" Albert began after a few moments, "between the security of the people, or the security of the world, which would you choose?"

Maurice frowned as he considered the question. "Would not the security of the world include the security of the people?"

"Yes, but one is an absolute threat, while the other is unsure… possibly even unlikely." Albert elaborated blandly. "However… Even then, could I justify the risk, simply for my own safety? How much risk is our own security worth?"

Maurice hesitated. "I- I couldn't say. Without any details… how- how is any of this possible?"

"My daughter… if indeed she is my daughter… I'm beginning to have doubts about that. She has this- this thing, that caused another world to be destroyed. And she's attempting to use it to bargain for our safety." Albert explained.

"You- are you actually doubting Victoria?" Maurice asked incredulously. "I can't believe- have you seen the amount of trust she puts in us at every turn?!? How could you even consider such a thing!?!"

Albert hesitated before sighing in frustration. "Yes, you're right. I'm just frustrated and lashing out. It's just… I can't make a decision. I can't give up on my people, but I can't damn the world in the process. Either way, I must do something I can't and… I can't." Albert explained, his tone drained of all emotion.

"If we let ourselves be destroyed… would it prevent this risk? Would the world be safe?" Maurice asked.

Albert paused. "Possibly? Though… this 'system' found Victoria from that original world… if she dies, it may just find a new host. If it happened once, it can happen again."

"System?" Maurice asked, confused, before shaking his head. "Nevermind. How credible is this risk?"

"Victoria believes it to be minimal. You know the differences between our world and the world she remembers. She believes this 'system' will be less disruptive to our world, and therefore less dangerous." Albert explained.

"Then, if there's nothing we can do to stop it, and the risk itself is minimal, why not save ourselves?" Maurice offered. "Noble sacrifice is one thing, but sacrificing yourself to prevent something that may not even happen seems foolish to me."

Albert frowned, before sighing again. "You're right. I know you're right. Still, I can't help but feel this is a mistake. That somehow- somehow this will destroy us all."

*

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Elder…" Albert began, trailing off politely. They were meeting in the Hidden Blades secret base, as required due to the Elders status, to discuss the specifics of their deal. Albert, Victoria, Ursa, and Maurice were all there, along with the Elder, Tiffany, and another Hidden Blade.

"Jocelyn." The Elder introduced herself with a smile. "There's no need to be so formal, Lord Tyverus. Your daughter is about to become one of our greatest benefactors! That earns you a significant degree of familiarity."

"I- I see…" Albert replied nervously. A Sect Elder was so far above his position that offending her could wipe his fief off the map! To treat her casually would be a grave sin, yet she requested such treatment, leaving him unsure whether to do as she asked or pay her her due respect. "This- this deal my daughter has brokered… what, exactly, do you require of us?"

Jocelyn smirked. "My dear Marquis, I believe you misunderstand the value of what your daughter has offered us. It is not what you can do for us, but what we can do for you."

Albert froze at that. "We- we only require the safety of our people… what we need to know is what needs to be done on our end to ensure that."

Jocelyn sat back in her chair, pursing her lips in consideration. "The main problem is the presence of the Duke's men and the Lord Inspector. On our end, we had already planned on delaying our invasion until after the fall sect entrance exam, in order to secure Victoria's entrance into the sect, which gives us time. We will need to find an excuse to demand that the Duke's forces leave. Ideally we can locate the Duke and send them off with him, but if not-"

"Wait, you- you don't have the Duke?" Albert asked, confused. He had assumed that the Hidden Blades had snatched him as some sort of bargaining chip.

"No, we do not." Jocelyn grimaced. "Believe me, I wish we did, but the man seems to have completely disappeared! We have no idea what happened to him."

Victoria coughed awkwardly, drawing everyone's attention. "I may have an idea…" She muttered, causing Ursa to snort.

Jocelyn and Albert glanced between the two, their eyes narrowing. "What did you do?" Albert asked, just knowing this was going to be yet another ridiculous revelation.

"Uh, well… so, you know Foratuna?" Victoria asked tentatively.

Albert frowned. "Ursa's disciple? What-"

"You didn't!" Tiffany suddenly exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief, before she let out a deranged cackle. "You evil bitch!"

Jocelyn glanced at Tiffany with a frown. "I don't understand. What did she do?"

"She turned him into a girl!" Tiffany exclaimed, cackling in delight. "Brilliant! Oh, but how do you keep her under control?" She asked, frowning.

"She turned him into-" Albert's eyes widened as he whirled to face Ursa. "You've been fucking the Duke!?!"

"Wait, you're fucking her?!?" Tiffany suddenly snapped at Ursa as well, a furious expression on her face.

Ursa raised his hands defensively. "I was ordered to!" He protested, and everyone turned to look at Victoria again.

Victoria coughed awkwardly. "I was very angry…"

"So- so when you said that you took his manhood… you meant- oh my." Maurice covered his mouth, looking at Victoria as if she'd suddenly grown a second head.

"And the Duke is just okay with this?!?" Albert asked incredulously. "I've spoken to Foratuna, and she showed no indication that anything was wrong!"

"Yeah, I kinda used the system to mindfuck her and make her so obedient that she couldn't even fathom the idea of not doing whatever anyone told her." Victoria explained. "Then I told her Duke Duhallis didn't exist anymore, and that was that."

Jocelyn raised an eyebrow at her. "And this is the same system you want to give us?" She asked, a dangerous tone creeping into her voice.

"Kinda, but not really. The system is really modular, so I can give different people different types. Plus, in order to force anything to happen, I have to fight against the user's own willpower. So as long as your will is stronger than mine, you're safe. Or, you know, just don't piss me off by doing something like trying to rape me." Victoria explained.

"Hm." Jocelyn grunted lightly. "Yes, well, I can assume this still leaves us in a position where the reappearance of the Duke is not an option, yes?"

Victoria paused. "Well, we could turn him back to normal and feed him some fake story to believe, but he's still going to be in the state where he has to do whatever anyone else tells him, so I don't think they'll buy that he's actually him if we do. The dude was a complete asshole before."

Jocelyn sighed, rubbing her temple. "Fine. Then, we still have to find a way to make the Duke's men leave without finding the Duke. We could manufacture some conflicts between the Duke's men and your own, giving you an excuse to request they leave your lands, or even demand it if the conflicts are bad enough." She explained, turning back to the Marquis.

"That- that could work." Albert replied, still processing the fact that his daughter had turned the Duke into a woman, then handed her over to a Rogue Cultivator to use like some sort of- of object! To think she was even capable of such a thing…

"Good. The next issue is how we will explain this all to your men." Jocelyn continued. "Obviously they cannot know that the Hidden Blades are behind Tamara. The more people who know, the larger the chance of the other sects learning of our plans, which would not be good for either of us. So how do we convince your men to stand down when the Tamarins invade?"

Albert frowned. "My men… there will be some… adjustment, but if I tell them to stand down, they will stand down. The King has neglected our lands for years now, and the men are well aware of the fact that they depend on me, not the kingdom."

"How commendable." Jocelyn smiled. "Then our final concern is how to handle the Hunters. As you may know, Hunters have the annoying habit of going to ground and becoming a force of resistance when lands are conquered. They all seem to have this annoying hero complex which drives them to 'fight oppression'."

"Have you tried not being oppressive?" Victoria offered. "If the Hunters have nothing to fight, then they aren't an issue, now are they?"

"Hunters consider the mere act of conquering a land to be oppression!" Jocelyn retorted. "No matter how well we treat the people, the Hunter's defy us because we 'stole' the land. As if the previous owners hadn't stolen the lands themselves centuries ago!"

"Then how about we bribe them?" Victoria replied. "If they join us, they get the system. If they continue to resist… well, you gotta do what you gotta do." Victoria shrugged.

Albert frowned as he glanced towards Victoria. "Victoria, could you please take the potential slaughter of our citizens with a bit more gravitas? Even if it must be done, it is a shameful and disgraceful matter. It is a failing on our part that we could not find an adequate solution which would allow us to avoid such action."

Victoria paused. "I guess? But… Well, someone is always going to be unhappy, no matter what you do. If they decide to become violent over it, and there's no way you can convince them otherwise, then they bring the consequences of that on themselves. You can't punch someone and expect them not to punch you back."

"Yes, but violence should always be a last resort, and not something to casually suggest." Albert stated firmly.

"I agree, but when someone attacks you, you can't just roll over and take it! You have to do what's necessary to keep you and your people safe." Victoria retorted.

"Are they actually arguing over something they agree on?" Tiffany leaned in to ask Maurice, a hint of incredulity in her tone.

Maurice sighed. "They are both… strong willed. Give them a minute."

"Even if it's necessary, it isn't to be taken lightly!" Albert countered.

"Why force yourself to be miserable for doing something you need to do? Yes, it sucks, but making yourself suffer because of it won't change anything!" Victoria shot back.

Albert scowled at her, about to retort back, when Jocelyn let out a small cough. "Could we get back to business?"

Albert and Victoria froze, quickly recomposing themselves. "Yes, my apologies." Albert replied. "As Victoria suggested, we will do our best to give the Hunters a chance to join us, but if they bring violence, then violence shall be returned to them in equal measure."

Jocelyn nodded. "Then I believe that's everything. Reginald here is in charge of coordinating our forces in Tamara, while Tiffany has overseen our infiltration of your lands. You may discuss the specifics of our operations with them." She gestured to the two of them, before turning her attention to Victoria. "Now, I believe we have to discuss the particulars of how we shall be spreading this 'system' of yours." She stood to her feet. "Shall we adjourn to a more… comfortable location?"

Victoria hesitated for a moment, before nodding and following Jocelyn to a small, but comfortable room a few tunnels away. She took a seat on a well padded couch, practically sinking into it. "Would you care for some tea?" Jocelyn asked, gesturing towards a small kettle.

"Uh… sure?" Victoria shrugged. She'd never been a huge fan of tea, but she wouldn't mind drinking something.

Jocelyn smiled, quickly heating the kettle and concocting the tea. "Milk or honey?" She asked as she poured the tea into a small glass.

"A bit of both?" Victoria replied hesitantly, not sure if it was a good idea or not.

Jocelyn nodded, adding a bit of both to the glass, before pouring one of her own, only adding a bit of honey. She handed Victoria her glass before taking a seat on the other end of the couch, which given the small size of the couch, left their knees touching as they were forced to turn to face each other, before Victoria pulled hers away slightly. "So, this system. How exactly is it transmitted? Are there requirements? How many can receive it at once?" Jocelyn asked.

Victoria took a sip of her tea, feeling a relaxing warmth spread through her chest as she considered Jocelyn's questions. "To transfer it, all you have to do is touch someone and click the transfer button. Very simple. I haven't noticed any requirements, as of yet, but maybe I just haven't had a chance to encounter one. As for how many can receive it at once… I've never tried giving it to more than one person at once, so I'm not sure." She took another sip. "The real question is, whether I should allow you to spread it around yourself or not. If it's just the heal button… Well, the heal button doesn't provide any permanent effects. If it was the Awakening button, then you could use it to Awaken everyone and have no more use for me, but if I turn off the heal button, then you're back to square one again."

Jocelyn blinked, glanced at the tea, then back to Victoria. "How very… forthright of you."

Victoria shrugged. "I've never been one to beat around the bush. Unless you're an idiot, you're going to realize the implications of all this yourself either way. Why pretend you don't know something you obviously know? Makes no sense." She took another sip of tea. "This is delicious, by the way."

"I'm glad you enjoy it…" Jocelyn muttered, feeling like she'd wasted some herbs. "So then, you give me the system, this… heal button? And then I can simply give it to anyone else? And then they can give it to anyone as well, and so on?"

"Yup." Victoria nodded. "The system is simple like that."

Jocelyn frowned. "Something of such utility being so easily distributed… It seems wrong for some reason."

Victoria shrugged. "I don't make the rules." She paused. Wait… she kind of did, didn't she?

"Well, since that is the case… May I have the system now?" Jocelyn asked, holding out her hand with a glint in her eye.

Victoria nodded. "Sure, uh… hold on." She quickly adjusted the system, altering it to just the heal button, making it the default system that everyone received first. She then took Jocelyn's hand and sent her the system. "There, you have it?"

Jocelyn stared blankly into empty space as her vision was filled with a series of prompts. She 'clicked' through them, setting up her tasks in a matter of seconds, examining the grayed out sections before focusing on the only lit up option labeled 'recovery'. She frowned. "Why do you call it a heal button when it says recovery?"

Victoria shrugged. "I just do? It's pretty much the same thing anyway."

"Not entirely, but I see your point." She looked over the system a bit more. "I see a few features that seem… inefficient."

Victoria sighed. "The system is still growing. It changes and adjusts based on what I experience. So as I develop, so will the system. I'm sure all the inefficiencies will resolve themselves."

Jocelyn nodded slowly. "I see." She turned her attention back to Victoria, lightly caressing the back of her hand with her thumb as she leaned forward to place a hand on her knee. "You're a very brave young woman, aren't you? Putting yourself in danger just for the chance you might save your family… It's inspiring! I truly hope you find everything you desire through all this."

Victoria frowned slightly. "Is it? I was facing death or worse either way. I would have lost my family, been forced to ignore the fact that I now worked for the very people who killed them, probably been carefully watched and controlled by you to make sure I never turned on you… I wouldn't call choosing the only path that offered even a little hope brave."

Jocelyn hesitated. "Ah… well, you've still shown an incredible amount of insight. Not many would be willing to look to their enemies for salvation."

Victoria shrugged. "Yeah, I've always been pretty smart. Maybe if the kingdom had shown more loyalty to us, I would have hesitated to betray them, but why would I save people who would kill me themselves if they discovered even a fraction of my secrets?"

"And practical too~" Jocelyn purred, her hand sliding slowly up Victoria's thigh. "You really are such an interesting young woman."

Victoria almost shrugged again, before she paused, glancing down at the hand creeping up her thigh, then back to Jocelyn. "Are- are you trying to seduce me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Jocelyn blinked, quickly taking back her hand as she faked a flush. "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to offend. I'm simply an admirer of unique individuals, which you certainly are! I meant nothing by it."

Victoria eyed her weirdly. For a supposedly minor and suppressed group, she sure ran into a lot of lesbians. "It's fine. I mean, as long as you don't try to force me into anything. You know how I feel about that." Victoria commented, a hard edge creeping into her tone.

"I would never do anything until you're completely willing." Jocelyn assured her, a mysterious grin playing across her face as her thumb continued to caress the back of Victoria's hand.