The Way of the Future: Age of Machines(Completed)

Demonstration Of Power

No bishop, no priest. No church nor pope. On this calendar day, 26th of the latter season. In the presence of representatives from the outer and inner district. 

Backed by a being of immense power of a Demigod and an Elf of magic. Wart, the dwarf who was exiled from his people for his defiance of Imperial authority, was crowned king. 

A few days after the Eastern wall's destruction, reconstruction had begun with expert guidance from Artemis himself. Approximate 30 percent of the Fortress City's workforce were placed in reconstruction projects while the rest were to be farmers, labourers, and cleaners. 

The total garrison numbered around fourty thousand in contrast to the previous number of fifty thousand.

One thousand soldiers were the accumulated lost for both sides in the uprising that happened. Those who were found with no crimes in their time as soldiers were buried in a mass grave outside of the city, a few meters from the farmland.

On the other hand, those were found guilty to have committed crimes beforehand, had their bodies burned and the possessions they left for their families confiscated and redistributed. 

The families that fought back the redistribution were killed. Those who complied, were given new chances to redeem themselves and clean their names.

The nobles, those who survived the initial massacre until Artemis ordered it to be suppressed, suffered the same fate. 

Although none of them have been executed just yet, all their wealth were redistributed among the outer district's peasantry and used as a means to pay them for their work.

The excess, yes, there was excess wealth. Was placed into the new national treasury that Artemis made. This national treasury was to be operated as a form of loaning agent were the peasantry could borrow loans with a small interest that they would pay after a given amount of time.

They could, also, pay the loan monthly.

This, however, involved a tremendous amount of bureaucracy that Artemis alone could not handle without talented companions. 

Thankfully, Pandora was one such companion. When Artemis asked for volunteers, Pandora was the first to raise her hand. After she did, other elves came forward and volunteered. It was then did Artemis discover that elves were efficient bureaucrats, something that somehow made him feel uncomfortable. 

Nonetheless, Wart's rule was still unstable and not set in stone. The loyalty of the people were still not certain since Artemis was the person who liberated them and Wart was known to be the exiled benevolent man that hid in a forest.

Artemis was looking forward for this day, a day after the coronation, it was his time to show off his chopping skills.

Execution day.

Artemis had the entire inner courtyard expanded to accommodate the number of executions that were to be carried out five at a time and the expected audience that totalled around fifty thousand from the peasantry alone.

Wart agreed to the executions, seeing that many of the former nobles mistreated him when he travelled through the Fortress City long ago.

"It won't hurt to have a taste of revenge, right?" Wart asked Artemis.

"Of course, milord. These vile creatures who call themselves nobles don't deserve your mercy. To be honest, I would rather use a dull axe to chop their heads of instead of using my weapon, they don't deserve such a painless death," Artemis said.

Wart smiled awkwardly at Artemis before returning his attention to the courtyard below him.

The preparations were almost complete. It was still raining but the executions will continue just as planned. Even in sun or in rain, they will pay for the pain they caused. 

Artemis looked up into the sky where the dark clouds flew. He sensed something was above it, beyond the sky and into the celestial ocean. 

"Something is watching us," Artemis said out loud

"Huh!?" Wart heard him and looked up to the sky too. If Artemis was seeing something beyond the sky that was watching them, Wart couldn't help but worry as to what it was.

Artemis noticed his mistake and gave Wart a good old pat on the back.

"It's fine. It's too far away, and besides, I am here," Artemis said.

Wart nodded in agreement but still, he felt his muscles tense up.

Lightning struck the fields beyond them. It was time for the executions.

As the rain poured on, the peasantry amassed around the courtyard to witness the long-awaited spectacle. 

Artemis along with Reinhard and Jord stood on the platform from which the executions would be conducted. Pandora and Wart stood over the castle's balcony, watching from above.

The first batch of prisoners were brought in. 

The four highest ranking nobles and the Count himself. They were butt naked, stripped of all their jewels, even the jewels that had in their bodies, Artemis ripped them all out personally.

But one of them still had the bravery to say his mind even in front of death himself.

"All of you!" He shouted.

"You think you can get away with this!? Imbeciles! You fucking peasants! Lord Rism will come here and kill you all!" He shouted. His wretched face reflecting his inner humanity.

The peasantry was silent, even they knew that Lord Rism may bring upon them their downfall.

Artemis, sensing the drop in morale, walked in front of platform. His butt directly in the noble's face.

"Lord Rism has no power here," Artemis announced. He then turned his back and looked at the noble and his smug face.

He then pointed his finger to the sky and a bright flash of light was soon emitted from the tip.

"Argh!" The nobles shouted. The peasantry watched in awe.

Reinhard and Jord took cover behind their shields. They knew what this symbolized.

The man in black was going to show the nobles his power.

Following the flash of light, a pillar of red energy appeared and struck the sky above them. 

It exploded in the sky and caused the clouds above them to completely disperse, stopping the rain.

"A D-Demigod!?" This is the only word the once smug noble could say.

Stopping a rain was only a Demigod with high-tier magic could do it, even if they were the weakest among them.

He has a magic skill called {Mana Essence} and could tell if the person was a Demigod or not because he could felt a excessive amount of mana of the demigod but when he sees Artemis mana, there is not a single trace, this is whats the most terrifying.

Overtaken with fear, he was decapitated along with the rest of the nobles with him.

The Count, however, Artemis had a different method reserved only for him.