New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

***Back to our favorite MC***

As Aberon walked down the streets, heading to the castle gates, the people in the streets looked at him in hatred.

Astaroth, Chris, I'dril, Aj'axx, and Korin, who were following from behind, got similar looks, but also some looks of disgust and occasional sneers.

All the stares really grated against Astaroth's patience, but Chris patted his back.

"Don't worry about these fools, son. They don't even know why they hate us. They are just following the king's propaganda." He said, smiling widely.

But Astaroth could feel the fakeness from that smile. It felt like he was looking at a plastic doll, empty and creepy.

He knew instantly that Chris was only smiling to peeve the people off even more. He was probably feeling anger and hatred himself, aimed at all these ignorants.

"But what propaganda is it?" Astaroth asked, oblivious to what the colonel meant.

Chris hesitated a bit, before sighing and explaining the situation.

"It's an old story now, but it stems from the passing of power from the last king to the current one." He started.

"Close to a decade ago, this city was much more prosperous and less fortified. The capital city used to represent our monetary might. Now it represents our military might." He said, a tinge of sadness in his eyes.

"What happened?" Astaroth questioned.

"The king was replaced." Chris said, hatred gleaming in his eyes.

"Replaced?" Astaroth echoed.

"Yes. Replaced. Usurped, to be exact, but don't let the soldiers hear you say that." Chris whispered to him.

"The old king was always an advocate for peace. He tried his best to push our race out of its isolation and into the rest of the continent." He continued.

"He was wise and just." Chris added with a gentle smile. But then his gaze turned icy again.

"His eldest son, the current king, was always an aggressive little mongrel. When he was old enough to inherit the throne, he demanded his father step down." Chris said, his fists clenching slowly.

"What happened then?" Astaroth asked.

"His father refused, of course." Chris said, scoffing.

"The old king knew his son was not yet wise enough to rule. He had ears everywhere in his palace and knew all too well what his son would do with such power." He added.

"What would he do?" Astaroth asked.

"War." Chris said, flatly.

"When his father refused to concede him the throne, the son started scheming behind his back. He made deals with nobles, bribed military officials, and threatened all that refused to join his side." He added.

"After months of doing that, he finally confronted his father again, this time demanding the throne. With all the nobles and officials backing him, and the others taking a step back, the old king was pushed out of power." Chris said, his tone becoming grave.

Chris sighed loudly, closing his eyes for a few seconds. Astaroth could feel the pain and anger washing off of the man.

"Then what?" He asked Chris, wanting to know the rest of the story.

"Then the new king asked for everyone to re-pledge allegiance to the crown." Chris answered, opening his eyes back.

For a second after he opened his eyes, Chris radiated another feeling than anger. Astaroth looked at him, and all he could discern felt like… pride?

He couldn't be sure, but it certainly felt like it. It only lasted a moment, and then Chris went back to anger.

With that reaction, Astaroth could already guess what happened next.

"Is that why all these people look at us like we kicked a puppy?" Astaroth asked, looking at the surrounding people.

"Bahaha! I like your analogy! Bahaha!" Chris started laughing, dispelling a bit of his anger.

"Yes, that would be why. As you have probably guessed, some people in the throne room that day refused to pledge. One of them being our illustrious general."

"General?" Astaroth appeared puzzled.

"Yes. The general of all the kingdom's military. He outright refused, calling the prince a usurper. He was banished, and stripped of his strength." Chris said, nodding.

"The only reason they did not execute him on the spot was that the military branch opposed it fervently. And the new king needed them on his side." He added, smirking a bit.

"Then what happened to that General?" Astaroth asked.

"Oh, not much! He moved out into an isolated village, living a calm life as a guard captain." Chris responded, grinning and side-eyeing Astaroth.

Astaroth looked at Chris for a moment, before his eyes went wide.

"You don't mean…" He blurted out.

"I sure do, son." Chris said, smiling widely.

"Then that means… Your nickname, the Colonel…" Astaroth stammered, trying to fit the pieces together.

"That's right. Not just a nickname. Although I don't have that rank anymore." Chris nodded, patting Astaroth's shoulder.

"Then, are all the villagers…?" Astaroth asked, realizing why they survived in such an environment.

"Not all. But most of them, yes." Chris answered.

"And what about…" Astaroth asked, looking towards Aberon.

"Oh yes! Him especially. Bahahaha!" He guffawed.

"But why is he still so powerful?" Astaroth asked.

"That is a pretty straightforward answer, son. Because the king has no power over him. Aberon has pledged his allegiance to the kingdom before he was even born." Chris said, smiling wryly.

Astaroth looked at Aberon in a new light after that statement. How powerful did one have to be to go against the power of a king?

"But there is something I don't understand." Astaroth said, turning to Chris again.

"Hmm?" Chris replied, still looking forward.

"How did he strip you of your strength?" Astaroth questioned.

It seemed a little far-fetched that a person could rob you of the strength you trained to get. Let alone the stats, he took the levels and everything along with it.

"That is another simple answer. Kingdom-level magic." Chris said, shrugging.

"Kingdom-level magic? What is that?" Astaroth asked, his questions multiplying in his head.

"As its name suggests, it is magic that needs the power of a kingdom to be cast. So only rulers of a country, kingdom, or empire can use it." Chris responded, explaining in simple words.

"But if he used that kind of magic, wouldn't that over-power Aberon's strength?" Astaroth asked, his confusion growing again.

"In theory, it would. But here's the catch, son. Aberon pledged his loyalty to the kingdom, not to the king. So his communion with the kingdom protects him from an unjust ruling." Chris explained, a smirk on his lips.

"So, what you are saying is the kingdom protected Aberon by itself?" Astaroth questioned.

"That is exactly what I mean. The king needs to borrow power from the kingdom to use it. But when he tried using it against Aberon, the kingdom refused." Chris said.

"But something doesn't add up. A kingdom is not something conscious. How could it decide anything?" Astaroth asked, still confused.

Chris turned his head to look at Astaroth. The kid had eyes burning with questions.

He could practically see them smacking the sides of his head, begging to be answered. So he indulged him.

"Kid. What do you think makes a kingdom?" Chris Asked Astaroth.

"A kingdom is a piece of land, ruled by a king, where citizens live." Astaroth said, trying to oversimplify it.

"Although your answer is correct, it is also wrong. It's more than that." Chris responded.

"A kingdom is a place where people group together to have safety in numbers. It is a place where many citizens protect each other from the dangers of the world, and occasionally, other kingdoms." He added.

Astaroth nodded his attention fully on the explanation. Chris then continued.

"I will give you an example. One you can understand. What would happen if you were to take the soul fragments of many dead monsters of the same type and bunch them together?" Chris asked him.

"I guess they would fuse and form an amalgamated soul?" Astaroth answered.

"Next question. What makes a person alive? On a fundamental level." Chris said, with a follow-up question.

"Their soul?" Astaroth replied, unsure where this was going.

"Correct. Now tell me again. What is a kingdom?" Chris asked again.

"A place where people group together for safety in numbers." Astaroth said.

Then he realized.

"An amalgam of people. An amalgam of their souls…" He said as if epiphany had just taken hold of him.

"Correct again. Now. What happens when you push many souls together?" Chris asked, pushing Astaroth to the answer.

"An amalgamated soul forms!" Astaroth answered, finally understanding.

"That would mean the kingdom is alive. It means it's an actual being!" Astaroth added, almost in hysteria.

"Yes. And she is powerful. Also, strikingly beautiful." Chris said, putting his hand on Astaroth's shoulder, so he would pipe down.

"But we are sidetracking here. You wanted to know why the people scorned us. It is very simple." Chris said, bringing back the original subject.

Astaroth was a little disappointed. He would have loved to talk more about the soul of the kingdom.

"The reason the people call us traitors and such names is because when we were banished, the king branded us as deserters. Claiming we refused to fight for the ash elf cause and our country." Chris continued.

Astaroth felt aggrieved for the men and women that had served their country, only to be banished as traitors. This treatment was too unfair.

And all that just because they didn't believe in the new king's cause. What a horrible turn of life.

"Anyhow, we shall keep the rest of this conversation for another day. We have arrived at the castle gates." Chris said, his eyes becoming stern again.

In front of the group stood another massive wall, this one filled with arrow slits. It looked like they could defend it even better than the first one.

Many guards in full-plated armor were manning the gate. It would be nigh impossible to infiltrate this castle without the skills of an elite spy.

There was another small line to enter the gates. Everyone was being scanned through a magic device that verified their identity and what they had on them.

Soon it was their turn to pass the gate, and they were called forward.

"Next!"