Church of Isekai -2. Борис Беленький

us. The Warmongers and the Religious Authorities benefit from the Armed Race that’s keeping them in charge and the “Edowers” happy. So to shut the dissenters down, they’ve unleashed their own Yellow Gas in the Hangar on the most-visible target – the children of those Science types. I’ve seen in their memories, that a much larger class was brought in and it was split – a half went elsewhere with the teacher and the second half went into the Hangar to hear a “Special Lecture by the sole survivor of the Veil”. That’s when the doors shut behind them and the Gas was pumped.

      Those (not very nice people) framed us. They have played a joke on us. I wanted 25 sets of clothing – I got them. With the poor murdered people in them. They needed to get rid of Mr Slime and they’ve suspected we somehow are tracking him. They knew he’d call for help and as a failed agent he’d get an extraction. He did. The kids are inconsequential. If we leave their bodies on the floor – we’ve proven ourselves being utterly Evil and they – wise and caring who didn’t trust anything and anyone who came in touch with the Other World. If the bodies disappear – we’re still Evil. Mr. Slime would probably stay with us or not – after that horror, nobody would listen to him and at best he’d spend his days fearing the Smiling Drows in a locked up room. They played a joke on me… They. Played. A. Joke. On. Me. … THEY … PLAYED … A … JOKE … ON… ME! Never. Never. Never. Get. Your. Necromancer. ANGRY!!!

      I suddenly heard a voice of our Dragon-friend in my head, “STOP IT!” I came back to my senses and looked around. My audience was sitting in shock looking at me. Whatever they have just seen, wasn’t what I have intended to display. I apologized to everybody and apologized again. I told them about my conclusions and said I want to talk to the Lab Chiefs, Dr Nectar, Shade-Leader, Captain Val, and Dragon Victoria in about an hour. I’m not asking for the Demi-Wolf captain of the Guard because he got his paws filled with the youth group. In fact I wanted to see them train – let’s go now. And sorry again. Most sincerely. I’ll do my best that it doesn’t happen again. The guests are free to mingle.

      I walked to the meadow where the demi-kids were being herded by our selfless Captain of the Guard and tried to define them as a “Pack” as I did yesterday to some of them. It turned out to be easier than I expected – when you know what you’re looking for and you’ve done it before, adding the new members to the Pack was a snap. I described what I’ve done to the Captain and apologized to the kids again for being too scary. A Kitty-Boy told me that I was really scary. Almost as scary as the Captain. I repeated “Almost as scary” and smiled at their coach. He looked me in the eyes and shook his head. Yes, we both know who’s scarier. Before I go, I told the kids I’ll play a little game and they’ll be my toys. They looked at me and I’ve taken control of the Pack as one entity and started forcing them to do dance moves. After the initial surprise, they actually laughed and when I released them, wanted to go again. I said that’s enough for now, they have a lesson and their coach is waiting. Little kids thought this is all fun and games. The Demi-Wolf understood it correctly – I can do anything to any of my Zombies and there’s no way out for them. Well I actually like them and need them and I’d never hurt them but it’s probably not easy to know that despite being so mighty he’d be dancing just like those kids if I wanted him to. Maybe I’m overthinking it – he knew I’m a Necromancer before, besides each Soldier obeys a Sargent, a Sargent reports to say a Captain, he to a General, and he to say a King. Maybe the Captain knows his job and expects me to do mine when the time comes to defend the Camp. I’ll just walk away.

      Think inside the box Part 7

      I walked back to the Camp Square where the Gallows used to stand. Strangely enough the ashes and any traces of the all-night party have disappeared. I’ll ask later to make sure, but it looks like the World has certain self-purging features. I found the kid who joked about them having to go back naked and apologized to him specifically. I don’t want him or anyone to think that I totally lost it because of his joke. It’s just it allowed me to understand something I couldn’t get for a while. I’ll talk to them all later. Did the Dragon Victoria come out yet? Oh she did – great. Listen I need to go, I’ll see you all later. Most probably we’ll send you all back by sunset. No, no questions. I’m still trying to figure out a lot of details. No. Sorry I need to go, I’ll come back in about 2 hours. I hope.

      I walked back into the Mansion and found a large reception room that Dr. Nectar took over for the classroom. I asked her if she remembers we’re meeting in about half an hour. Yes, she does so unless it’s urgent… No I just need to sit in the corner and do something similar to what she saved me from yesterday. If she notices my soul running away please act. NO. NO. I must and that’s not up for discussion. Sorry and please continue with your class. Dear students, sorry for the interruption.

      I sat on the floor in the corner and reached out to the Soul of the Librarian. First, I’ve left it with less than a tenth of his capacity, then took away a half of that, then reached out to him. A very angry voice cursed me and then again and again. I’ve let him talk and then interrupted, “Listen, let’s assume, you got me really upset and instead of running away in tears, I just started modifying your memories. Every one where you’re making someone suffer in your office will be reversed – you will remember it from the point of view of the victim. You have MANY of those I and can change them really quickly. Oh don’t start again – I’ll throw in your Drows’ memories too. Every one where they acted on your orders only this time, again, you’ll be running through the Forest and hiding in the rocks and then dying in a way you’ve requested. Now that I got your attention – here’s the situation with the newcomers. I don’t want to keep them and I don’t want an all-out war with their World. I can send them back and the Bosses would have to be silent about their own Yellow Gas. In fact the whole incident would come down to the door malfunction – the kids would be forced to shut up about the Gas. That would leave the kids as Zombies – probably never growing up – and leaves the World Bosses to plot their next casus belli or just attack unprovoked. Your ideas – I’m listening”

      After a long silence, I heard “How stupid are you to think that a body won’t grow with a Necro-Soul? Souls just reside in the Bodies, growing old is a biological process that’s not connected to the Soul. If you swap two souls, the bodies would still go on as before. Hehehe so stupid.” I sighed, “This is what I told you before. You think yourself Infallible – just because you thought of something, it must be True. You’re wrong. With a regular soul your assumption is right – I can swap souls, and bodies will exist like nothing happened. A Necro-Soul freezes the Body in this world. We have no heartbeat and your own Artifacts didn’t detect me. Yes, that’s why. I’ve had taken damage that would've killed a regular Human and yet my Necro-Doctor fixed me with a kiss and a spell. Yes, it felt great to be cared for and loved. You should’ve tried it. But you wouldn’t and now you never will. What, you didn’t expect I can get to you the same way? See, you know it and I know it – we are very much alike. Only it gives you hope that I’ll set you free and it terrifies me. So, a Necro-Soul in those kids lets them come back to my World but does nothing to prevent the War. I can try to talk to their parents through them, I can maybe even spur those parents to get another High Hearing to explain to the Panel that their War will blow in their face but the problem is, we know it won’t work. The Bosses get rich from the Genetic Engineering and use the War to prevent themselves from being criticized. After all, how can you complain about shortages if we’re in a War! So. Your ideas would be appreciated.”

      He started muttering, “So you’re saying the Soul isn’t just Energy and as such can be Positive and Negative effectively acting like a proton and antiproton and when they collide…” I interrupted, “stay on-topic. This is a Magical World – everything you’ve read about subatomic particles at home, doesn’t apply. Moreover there’s a possibility the books in your library are wrong as the Magic World can self-modify. The books can get outdated or be deliberately sabotaged. I need your Strategic Ideas – leave the execution to the Engineers.” He was silent for a bit and then said, “Engineer. That’s what you are. You’re looking for a quick and solid fix at the lowest cost. You will never Rule the World. You don’t have the span of the imagination. To go to the Panel. Hehehehehe… To convince them to change their ways… Hehehehehe … Every change needs an overseer, and you’re