How To Use Console Commands

Epilogue

"Stop fidgeting," Axter chastised.

"I can't help it," Payton whined as the chimera adjusted the tie. "This is... this is pretty damn big."

"Of course it's big," laughed his personal butler and friend. "The Dark Lord is about to address his newly formed nation. People from all over the province have come to hear from you speak for the first time since you defeated Faoster a month ago. No one has come to this city since Orphan's arrival."

Payton could hardly believe it had already been a month since he had his fight against the Listener of Goblins. There was very little resistance to the change of regime. All had seen Faoster agree to the terms of the battle and word had spread. Some of the outlying towns that had refused to participate in the battle had initially been resistant and hoped to remain independent but Ghorrend had stepped up and used his governing skills to either threaten or negotiate terms of fealty. Eventually, the entire province had sworn fealty to Payne Red the Dark Lord.

It helped that while he provided them with the tools they needed to prosper, he didn't just give them the supplies they needed. He had people teach one another the skills and to grow together. Goblins and humans worked side by side to repair the damage caused by the fall of the Speakers. The fact that Daronllier was still with them also helped smooth matters over with the humans. What really inspired people was the fact that Amberline had started schools and was teaching people to read and the idea of obtaining skills akin to Readers - at least in terms of reading books - sparked everyone's ambition.

In that time, Payton, Ravenus and Axter had traveled all over the Province, dropping Towers of Dominance to secure their borders as well as meeting leaders of the individual towns. Durandal had taken it upon himself to organize the military while Tartarius worked with Carlisle to secure their defenses and rebuild Gobhood in the wake of the battle. Gustav treated the injured and Ichika organized the first Adventurer's Guild as Payton had promised. No response came from Orphan or the other Readers yet and while that kept Payton somewhat anxious, he was growing more and more confident by the day that their conquest of the province had become more secure.

"I'm still a little conflicted on what I'll say," admitted the wolf.

"Payton Rendshaw," laughed Axter, dusting off his shoulders. "The Dark Lord that freed this province and single-handedly freed goblinkind from the reign of Faoster Goblincaller and his Speakers is nervous about addressing a couple of million people. Who would have though?"

Axter had grown a little more comfortable with him and, at least in private, was more of a friend and confidant than a butler.

"Cut me some slack!" Payton laughed with a shrug. "I've never done this before."

Then again, one could say I've never been in an isekai before and yet I think I'm doing pretty well.

"You'll do fine," Axter urged, leaning down and gently kissing his forehead. "Just be yourself."

He took a deep breath, appreciating the warmth of the gentle sign of affection. "Alright. Here goes..."

Holding his head up high and resting one paw on Ragnarok which rested on his hip, he strode out onto the balcony of the newly constructed palace. The moment he did, the cheer that rang up from the crowd was utterly deafening. It was still hard to believe that all of this joy and happiness was directed at him.

He wasn't naive, however. He knew people were still suffering. There were people out there that preferred the stagnant lifestyle they had gotten used to under Faoster. Some were still capturing goblins and trying to break them, turn them into slaves. Others were trying to replicate the Emerald Mage's scrolls to summon goblins for their use. Some madmen were looking to cook goblins even though Daronllier had relinquished his role as Speaker and goblin meat was inedible. Naturally, there were those that still outright hated goblins and called themselves 'Hagden's Harriers', seeking to kill any goblin that they came upon. A small pocket of loyalists from Faoster maintained small outposts as well.

Nothing is perfect. But we will always remain imperfect if we don't grow. Now, at least, we can start easing off those imperfections.

The cheering died down and he took another deep breath.

He stepped up to the magical device provided by Lysandria that would allow his voice to every corner of the province from Avergreen to the Wastes.

Alright... Here we go.

"I don't know what the future holds," he admitted. "No one has ever dared to go up against a Listener or even a Speaker for so long let alone win. Certainly no one has ever dared to challenge a Reader. And yet here we are. On the cusp of what could very well be a huge world-wide war to determine the fate of Lexcia because of that very same reason. No one ever dared to challenge the Readers. That's led everyone to just be complacent with what they have and never question if they can have more or if what they have is right. It's hard to say if we're on the right path. Even harder to say that if where we're going is better than what we had before. But I want to believe that it is."

I have to.

"We're creating a new world here where it's safe for goblins, humans and Grigori to stand side by side without fear of persecution or execution. A world where anyone can learn any skill. Where anyone can rise beyond the restrictions of a class so long as they work hard enough. Where prosperity does not mean that one species has to sacrifice everything but where the burden of propping up the nation is supported by everyone from those with names to those without, from the Level 100s to the Level 1s. Where we are all responsible and adequately rewarded for our efforts."

He lifted his muzzle towards the air, looking to the distance. "Everyone has a voice. Together, that voice will rise and we will be heard. We will make the other Listeners hear us. We will be heard by the Readers and even the Godmage himself. Our cry will reach the other provinces, other nations. Ours will be the rallying cry that will bring hope to this world that has sat stagnant for so long."

His eyes drifted back towards the crowd, their eyes all on him. "It will be hard. Doubt will creep upon us at every corner. Pain will chase us like a shadow." His mind went back to Kalastraad as he saw all the goblin faces staring up at him with hope. "Death won't be far behind." Then he glanced to his left and right, to the people that had helped him get here. "But so long as we stand united, not even all the Readers combined including the Godmage can stand against us. Because unlike them, we learn. All the doubt will only make our resolve stronger. All the pain will help us grow. Every second we avoid death makes us wiser."

Heart lifting with his finishing words, Payton raised his arms, welcoming the crowd. "So let us join our voices as one to christen our new city. Let's make it official and shout our city's name to the heavens that the world might brand it into its memory and never be forgotten. This is our city. The City of Kaladan!"

Fists went pumping into the air and the crowd cheered the name of the new city renamed in honor of the former Speaker and Goblin King.

"Kaladan! Kaladan! Kaladan!"

Payton smiled and looked towards the lake, to the sole Tower of Dominance that served as Kalastraad and Aldurin's monument.

"This is for you, Kalastraad," he whispered softly.

He pumped a fist into the air.

The cheer was deafening.

******

The celebration was an all-day event and by noon, a parade was going through the streets of the city much to the delight of the people. Multiple stalls had been set up along the streets where people could partake in new dishes created especially by Daronllier and taught to multiple people who worked to make it their own. The Head Chef had torn down his restaurant and turned it into a cooking school. Smaller restaurants were popping up all over the city and it was Ravenus' pleasure to try a new one every day. Everyone had a different palette and different preferences, their different favorites and styles. Payton was absolutely right. Now that everyone was no longer being forced to adhere to a single voice, they were spreading out and trying different things.

He walked around slurping up some soupy noodles provided in a small disposable bowl that was so rich, savory and contained seaweed of all things. The bat was practically skipping through the streets as he eagerly followed his nose to the next appetizing thing. After finishing the noodle bowl and responsibly disposing of the bowl itself, he caught sight of a peculiar sight.

"Axter?"

He bounded over to the small stall that the blue-furred chimera was manning. Axter was handing out little edible cones with a scoop of what looked like frozen, flavored cream or frozen juices of different flavors molded around a stick for easy transport and consumption.

"Good day, Ravenus," replied the chimera as he handed out another cone. "Would you like some iced cream? Perhaps a popsicle?"

He came up to the side of the stall and noticed the long line mostly consisting of kids and their parents. Axter's stall was quite popular. "What are they?"

"Something that Lord Red mentioned he missed once," replied Axter as he handed another frozen treat to a child. "He described it as flavored cream that has been whipped while being chilled to give a smooth consistency or juice that has been frozen around a stick. I had asked Daronllier if he had heard of them and he admitted he had not. We spent a few weeks trying to find ways to recreate it and I just finished recently. Would you like one?"

Ravenus leaned forward towards the cart. There were about six large tubs of the ice cream, each differently flavored, that Axter was choosing from while the popsicles were individually wrapped and packed in a different cart. All of them maintained their integrity through Axter's powerful ice magic.

"Sure! That sounds great!"

Axter smiled at him and grabbed one of the cones and grabbed a scoop of some bright, green ice cream. "Here. This is the flavor Daronllier and I created just for today. We call it a 'New Green Day'." He winked at Ravenus slyly. "Really, it's just basil and green apple."

"Sounds great!" Ravenus took the cone. He noticed that the kids were licking the frozen treats as opposed to biting them so he gave the scoop a lick. A chill ran down his spine as his taste buds danced with joy. "Oh wow! This is fantastic! It's sweet and refreshing at the same time! I love it!"

"So do my customers!" laughed Axter, handing another cone to another family while accepting their coins. "I'm hoping that once we're on the road, I can find different flavors and make new variations at Lord Red's request. You'll all have to be my taste tester."

"That sounds great!" If Ravenus had a tail, it would be wagging. He wanted to try all the flavors but he noticed that Axter's line was only getting longer. "Did you want some help with your stall?"

"I couldn't ask that. You go enjoy the festival."

The bat positioned himself right beside his fellow Grigori and gave the butler a light nudge. "I wouldn't be much of a friend if I left you to work like this while I enjoyed it myself. Besides, I'm sure it'll be great for business if you were shown sampling your own dishes."

Axter rolled his eyes and gladly accepted. Ravenus manned the popsicle stand while Axter took care of the ice cream. As there was really only one flavour of popsicle, it was easy to hand them out in exchange for currency. Together, they were tearing through the line, leaving kids and their parents happily jumping away in glee at the tasty treats that they now had. Unfortunately, demand was far too much for Axter's supplies and he had to close up shop as the sun was setting much to the disappointment of the remaining customers.

"Don't worry folks," he announced, waving at them all. "I'll be back tomorrow with more."

Ravenus beamed brightly as they began wheeling the cart back through the crowded streets up to the palace.

"I'm honestly glad you convinced Daronllier to stay alive," commented Axter halfway to their destination. "I don't think my cooking skill would have jumped up as far as it did without him."

"I honestly didn't do much," laughed Ravenus. "Payton was the one that got him on our side."

Axter rejected the notion with a shake of his head. "You're not giving yourself enough credit. It was your passion and plea that convinced Daronllier. I asked him about it. He saw your love of life and a kindred spirit. Someone who just wanted to live and enjoy life, who couldn't stand by and watch people suffer. It's why he initially set out to help Gobhood back in the day." He smiled at Ravenus. "You did a lot, Rav."

The bat laughed softly and waved the compliment away. "Look who's talking. All your ice spells really saved the day."

"Perhaps. But I'm thinking of expanding beyond just ice."

"Huh?"

Axter held out a paw and a burst of flames jumped out from his fingertips. "In line with what Payton has been preaching, we can't be too complacent with what we have. I'm going to branch out into other elements. I will keep honing my ice magic, of course, but I'll see how can use other elements too."

"That's amazing!" Ravenus exclaimed.

The chimera gave him a sidelong glance. "What about you, Rav? What are you doing to improve yourself?"

The bat grinned sheepishly and scratched his cheek, glancing away. "Well... I dunno if it's really 'improving' myself but I'm making a lot of friends."

"Is that so?"

"Tartarius keeps calling it a 'spy network' or something but I'm making a lot of friends both in and outside of the province. There are a few traders that cross the border and I've been talking to them a lot. They like me a lot. They've brought me news of what's going on outside our borders. Other guys on our side of the wall too. I've actually got a few people in Faoster's Loyalists that are telling me what's going on with their movements. Durandal is actually going to strike at one of their strongholds thanks to a tip-off I got."

Axter blinked in utter surprise at the statement. "That is... That's amazing, Rav. You could be Payton's Spymaster!"

Ravenus laughed and waved away the comment. "I don't know about that. I just have a lot of friends."

"Friends in high places."

The bat tilted his head to the side with a bright, innocent smile. "I guess so!"

******

The fireworks display was simply breathtaking. All of Kaladan was illuminated by the spectacle of lights and fire that Amberline and Lysandria had spent the past few days organizing. It utterly surprised Tartarius that there was no such thing as fireworks in this world except for in the ancient past. Amberline remembered and Lysandria had the resources to bring it all to fruition. Watching the little explosions flashing above reminded him of the New Years celebrations back home. He found himself a little homesick... but at the same time he was glad to be here in Lexcia.

"Wouldn't change it for the world," he laughed to himself.

His eyes went to his target. A lone figure standing on the battlements of the newly constructed castle, leaning against the wall. He strode over and casually draped an arm around the boy's shoulder.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

Verinas Blackblade nodded wistfully. "Yeah. I've never seen anything like it."

The Goblin Knight's former squire had fully recovered and was looking better than ever. In fact, Tartarius noted the presence of a backpack sitting beside the boy's legs.

"Going somewhere?" he asked.

The young adventurer reached for his arm that had been restored thanks to Payton's abilities. "I'm thinking about forming a party with some others in the Adventurers' Guild and going out to see the world. Maybe start small and do some quests around Kaladan first before heading out to other towns and seeing how we can help."

"Haven't given up on your dreams of being a Level 100 adventurer, huh?" scoffed Tartarius. "After being beaten by the Goblin Knight, getting your arm chopped off and then being healed only to watch your entire nation torn down and rebuilt by the Dark Lord, you still want to go out there and fight. That's impressive."

There had be tens of thousands of Gobhood soldiers loyal to Faoster who had retired from service after they realized they didn't have to be a soldier because of where they lived, who their parents were or because they didn't have a name. For many of them who only knew about being a soldier, they were somewhat shocked to realize they had hidden talents or that their idle hobbies could become something profitable. That severely reduced the raw manpower of the nation but replaced some portion of it with budding infrastructure and keen adventurers like Verinas.

Time would tell if it was a good investment.

The young man absently rubbed the back of his neck and let out a soft, bashful chuckle. "I know it's a little strange but Lord Red opened new doors for us, you know? Strange as it sounds but the world just seems more... colorful now, you know? Everyone isn't wearing outfits dominated by green for once."

Tartarius had to laugh loudly at that. There was a lot of truth in those words. Now that goblins, humans and Grigori were living side-by-side and Faoster's system of high dependence upon goblin labor was abolished, people were finding their own voices and their own styles. This even boiled down to fashion where the domination of green was set aside. There was a penchant to integrate the Black Halo Alliance's emblem in everything but it was vastly different from when Faoster seemed to control everyone's thoughts and ideas even down to the iconography.

"I feel like this is a new start for me," Verinas admitted. "I thought I was on my way when the Goblin Knight gave me my name and made me his squire. But this time... This time it honestly feels like I'm breathing fresh air for the first time."

The rune-skinned rhino wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulder. "Make sure you run with the right crowd this time around. Me and the Dark Lord won't always be around to kick your ass back on the right track if you start running around with the likes of the loyalists or those crazies that still want to eat goblin meat."

There was a fire in Verinas' eyes that sparked against the light of the fireworks. "Those are the kinds of people I want to go after. After being treated the way the Goblin Knight treated me, I realized that the likes of Nevaught, Aldurin, Hagden and even Faoster didn't think of us as any more than stepping stones to prop them up. Those that are trying to bring back their way of life are just going to find someone else to take their place. They have to be stopped before they treat anyone else like I was treated."

Tartarius found pride swelling in his chest and as much as he wanted to accompany the new adventurer out to eliminate the remaining pockets of resistance, he had to leave with Payton soon to keep up the momentum. Orphan was not going to take the annexation of one of his provinces and the declaration of independence sitting down. They needed to get moving.

"Just be careful out there, okay kiddo?" he said, clapping the young man's shoulder. "You're no one's slave now."

"And I never will be," confirmed Verinas. A soft smile touched his lips and he clasped a fist over his chest. "But my heart belongs to the Dark Lord for saving me."

"Oh really now?" laughed Tartarius.

Verinas returned the laugh. "No! Nothing like that! Though, given he's not abolished the idea of open relationships, maybe I might get my chance to sleep with him one day? He seems to like men bigger than him. If I put on some muscle, maybe he'll be interested!"

Tartarius flinched at the statement. "Well, you might have some competition there."

"Why? Are you interested?"

The rhino grinned and ruffled the adventurer's hair. "You'll just have to find out next time we meet, kiddo!"

******

The fireworks were getting somewhat irritating. Though he should realistically be out there celebrating as well, Durandal was getting things ready for when they departed. Ichika would be the global Guild Master for the Adventurers' Guilds but she would have to nominate a local Guild Master for the region. She was doing an exceptional job building Guilds in each town and those that would be adventurers were flocking to the idea of having an organized local quest hub. It surprised even Durandal how efficient it was to have locals going to the Guild, posting requests and then adventurers coming in, taking the quest for the reward. In the short month since they had established the guilds, adventurers were growing stronger faster than ever before. Much more efficient than how it was before when a Speaker might occasionally set out a call for adventurers but other than that, everyone was left to their own devices.

Payton's suggestion of 'daily quests' also helped matters. Even if they were mundane tasks like watering plants on a farm, taking pets for a walk or slaying a set number of pesky rabbits, it was enough to encourage adventurers all over the region to contribute to the reconstruction of the budding nation while also giving them precious rewards and experience points.

It honestly made him wonder what other ideas his Dark Lord had.

The door to his office - which had once been the Goblin Knight's - burst open and he jumped in surprise as Ghorrend came charging in carrying a casket of wine on his shoulders.

"I knew I'd find you here!" roared the orc. Ghorrend slammed the casket onto Durandal's table. "Payton sent me out looking for you! He was worried when he didn't see you at dinner!"

"I'm a little too busy for that," Durandal sighed. "I've just finalized my suggestions for Ichika's replacement so that when we find a base of operations in the next province she can come with us. Gustav will need to stay here at the hospitals he's established but we can still stay in contact and he can get to us if needed. Carlisle is already getting bored of Gobhood so he insists on coming with us. Amberline is finishing her tour here in Kaladan so she'll be our primary means of transport to the border and then we'll be on foot."

He leveled his gaze at Ghorrend. "And you, Lord Governor, will have your responsibilities here as well. You know you can't come with us."

Ghorrend tore the lid off the casket, filling the office with the sweet smell of wine. "Fuck, I know. I'd love to see the world outside of the province but I am the Governor of Avergreen and part of the fucking Senate."

It was how Payton had resolved the power vacuum created by the loss of Faoster and the Speakers. Every town had a representative or Senator allocated to them. The same Senator was bound to the Tower of Dominance protecting their city. A Chamber of the Senate was created in Kaladan where the Senators would meet, debate and create general laws and rules for all of Kaladan. Once a significant majority had been reached, the law would go to Payton for approval. There was no one person ruling the entire region. Payton had no veto power. His signature was mostly symbolic. If three votes were held and no majority reached, the role of Senator would be reassigned as voted by the people.

It was a fair system and one that Durandal couldn't wait to see in action.

"You promised to do your best as part of the Senate," Durandal warned. "No doing a shitty job just so you can get kicked out and join us."

"Yeah, yeah," groaned Ghorrend, fishing out a mug from behind him and scooping some wine into it. "I can't be disappointing Payton now, can I?" He took a swing from the mug and then handed it to Durandal.

The boar gave him a sour look. "Don't I get my own mug?"

"Please. We've shared spit before. Shared more than spit, in fact."

His cheeks flushing with embarrassment, he grabbed the mug and took a sip. It was good wine.

"When do you guys leave?" Ghorrend asked suddenly.

Durandal sighed and leaned back in his chair, the mug in his hand. "A few days. I just need to get approval from the rest of our friends on my suggestions before we can head out."

"So... say three nights?"

The boar shrugged absently. "Yes. I'd say so."

Ghorrend then grinned broadly. "So that means we get to fuck at least three times before you go."

Durandal's jaw dropped open in shock before he slammed it shut with a grin. "You'd think I'd have gotten used to such statements but you consistently still surprise me."

"That's what you love about me," chuckled the orc, leaning forward. "So what do you say? We fuck morning, noon and night? Starting right now? Make it nine instead of three?"

"Can I at least finish me wine first?"

"Tell you what? How about I pour the wine all over me and you lick it off?"

Durandal rolled his eyes but couldn't help the grin on his features. "I walked right into that one."

He downed the rest of his drink, slammed the mug on the table and then hiked a thumb over his shoulder.

"Let's fuck."

******

Payton stared at the enormous walls that marked the borders of the province. Each wall was at least a hundred feet tall, taller than even the Flourishing Walls of old Gobhood. They were encased with the same shimmering shielding that Inferiorix had created when he had systematically conquered all of Lexcia. There was no way to pass through the walls without the explicit permission of the leaders of both sides of the wall. Without Faoster, new passes would not be generated but those with existing passes could walk through the shimmering gates at will.

It was a good thing Ravenus had made so many friends amongst the merchants because the Dark Lord and his retinue of Grigori could now sit quietly in the back of a wagon, hidden from view by the guards on watch. It amused him that, in many ways, he had entered Faoster's province in a similar way; in the back of a wagon with the men that would become his close friends and allies. Now, he was entering a new land with a single goal in mind.

To free the people from the Readers

His heart momentarily stopped when he heard the guards up ahead stop the wagon.

His paw went towards Ragnarok which hung by his hip. There was some muttering... and then the wagon began moving again. He let out a soft sigh and turned towards the blinds covering the entrance to the cloth-covered wagon. Slowly, he peered through gap in the fabric...

... and quietly said goodbye to the place that had been his home for the past two months.

Not that I can't go back anytime I want. Now that I'm in here, the assault begins.

"We made it," sighed Ravenus, slumping into his side of the wagon. "I was scared there for a minute."

"I never had my doubt," Tartarius said with a bright grin. "If they tried to stop us, we were already on their side of the wall! I'd just have skewered them and then headed on out!"

Durandal rolled his eyes and showed his disapproval. "Of course you would have."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Axter got between the two, holding up two frozen popsicles. "Why don't we celebrate this momentous occasion? Mint and mango popsicles?"

"Oooh!" Ravenus exclaimed, lunging forward and snatching both popsicles from the chimera's paws. "Yes! Yes please!"

Axter sighed but could not help the smile on his muzzle. He reached into the pack he had kept with him and produced two more which both the boar and rhino too gratefully. He then looked towards Payton. "Anything for you, My Lord?"

Payton took a moment to respond, watching as the gates grew smaller and smaller as they peeled further and further away from the border.

"It's amazing," he whispered softly. "It feels like we've done so much. We basically liberated an entire nation. Yet it's just a droplet against an enormous sea. It almost feels... insignificant."

"That's still one more drop than there was before," Axter encouraged, offering him a popsicle. "And fairly soon, we will start raining down on the world and washing away the rest of the Readers."

He smiled as he took the popsicle. "Yeah. It's certainly one step forward."

Payton Rendshaw, middling accountant who had been satisfied with his life, now the Dark Lord of Lexcia, turned to his friends and held up his little popsicle in a toast.

"To more steps towards the future."

******

_ _

_ _

"I can't believe you're being so blasé about this! A Listener was killed by a Grigori!"

It had been a long while since the Readers had convened like this. Even then, they weren't convening in person. Through shimmering portals, their voices echoed in Inferiorix's little conference chamber. The Godmage watched and listened quietly, trying to keep the smile from his lips.

"Faoster was an idiot who had delusions of being a messiah. If he wasn't going to fall soon, he would have self-destructed eventually. Haven't you heard that the only reason he fell was because three of his Speakers turned against him and pursued their own agendas?"

The Readers had been squabbling for hours now. It was quite amusing. The general public saw the Readers as this cohesive, singular body of people with incredible powers that worked together for the betterment of the world. It couldn't be farther from the truth. They were squabbling politicians using the dependence of their individual nations on their abilities as leverage over one another. If Faoster's province had grown stagnant because of complacency, the Readers had grown stagnant because of pure inaction. Each of them had their ambitions but no one could ever agree with one another. There were whispers of movement and intrigue but when one Reader gained an advantage over another, some other Reader would do something that would invalidate that movement. They would always end up coming to the same status quo in the end.

"I think we're missing the fact that this is a Dark Lord we're dealing with. We should be taking this more seriously."

"It's just a Grigori that has managed to amass some allies and outwitted a foolish Speaker. Nothing more."

Admittedly, all of this infighting wasn't just something that they came up with. Inferiorix smiled quietly to himself as he reflected on how each Reader saw him as this little, insane, powerless, suicidal moron that had grown bored of living despite all his power but in reality... Well...

"You know," he said, speaking up for the first time in the discussion, "I was technically a Dark Lord when I appeared and made this world as it is now. If someone is claiming to be a Dark Lord, maybe we should treat it seriously."

"See!? Even the fucking Godmage agrees with me."

"You can't trust anything Inferiorix says. He's suicidal."

"To your point, however, why would he send us to investigate the one thing that could potentially kill him if he wants to die?"

Inferiorix shrugged helplessly. "I'm just saying. But I guess it wouldn't make sense either to have two Dark Lord running around. I'm still technically one, after all."

"Exactly! See? It doesn't make sense!"

"Be that as it may, this Grigori still managed to kill a Listener! This is a situation that needs to be dealt with seriously."

"Yes. By Orphan. It doesn't need the rest of us involved. Faoster was Orphan's Listener. Traditionally, when a Listener fell, the respective Reader took care of it."

"But he has no intention of dealing with it either. He keeps saying that Faoster was an anomaly. His other Listeners and Speakers are stronger and far more loyal. They won't fall to the same tricks."

"We should still send reinforcements."

"Invading another Reader's territories without their permission is an act of war!"

"If Orphan will just let us in, it's not war! It's just -"

"No one is coming into my territory! I don't need your reinforcements. I am the Summoner, remember? I can make my own reinforcements."

The Godmage could not manipulate any of their minds without any of them noticing. There was a Reader of Mental Magic, after all, and he could detect if there was any psychic manipulation being done. But he didn't need to rely on his powers to turn jackals already at one another's throats against each other.

The argument continued for what seemed like an eternity. Inferiorix had infinite patience, however. He had lived for so long that just a little bit more time watching and listening to people argue with one another was endlessly amusing. Stoking the fires of animosity was also quite entertaining. The embers had ignited. Soon, it will burn into a true conflagration that will turn everything on Lexcia to ash. The flames of war between the Readers would consume everything... including him.

And his spark was none-the-wiser.

"That's good, Dark Lord," he whispered to himself softly. "Everything will end. Including me."

"Did you say something, Inferiorix?"

The Godmage beamed brightly. "No. Nothing important. Just kind of wishing I had been there when Faoster died. Might've learned how to kill myself in the process."

The groan that followed from his fellow Readers only sweetened his gratification.

"Soon... I will die."

End of How to Use Console Commands Season 1