Aftermath POV2 (I)

Phoenix was fuming

'I feel like I want to shove his soul back into his body only to kill him myself'

He was in such a fury that both Elio and Kye felt uncomfortable following him.

'Bloody fool had to act smart ...

He could've just kept quiet, how can such a strong young guy be so stupid? The idiot never came out of his bubble, FOOL!'

'Did he think that his position made him immune or something? What was going on inside that air-full head of his when he decided to openly defy Arno... Ugh'

He clenched his fists

'I wish I could just fire all the stubborn bastards, BUT NO, I have to follow stupid regulations! This position is so crippling!.'

As the head of the Crimson Guards, Phoenix served the Kingdom in a prestigious way.

However, his position was heavily regulated.

Despite holding a lucrative and high-ranking position, Phoenix's control over the Crimson Guards was constrained by explicit regulations dictating the conditions for hiring and firing Elite Knights.

While his opinions held weight, his authority was tightly restricted, given that the Crimson Guards operated as a department under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Internal Affairs and not as his personal domain.

And that irritated him a lot

'My position is nowhere near as important or as strong as the Librarian's or the Duke's, yet, I'm forced to deal with them ALL the time!'

'Damned blood contracts!'

Phoenix looked back and glared at the two idiots walking behind him, making them both shiver in fear

'These two fools as well were chasing a person who is clearly stronger than them!

How could they - Ahh I'm just surrounded by idiots'

Phoenix was feeling a mixture of emotions, none of which included feeling sad about Kasai's death, only anger about the way he died.

'The idiot died in such an unnecessary death, and now I have to find someone as strong as him to put him in the now-vacant position ...

People of that caliber don't grow on trees, how bothersome...'

'On top of that, I have to explain his death to his family ...

That idiot also recommended that stupid girl into her position, she is strong but as air-headed as him, I have to make sure that she doesn't do anything stupid.'

Phoenix sighed

'Fuck it all'

As they were getting closer to The Citadel, Phoenix heard someone calling him from behind

"C- Commander"

He turned around and replied in the calmest tone humanly possible

"What?"

His voice was normal, but no matter how Elio and Kye looked at him

'He is seething'

Both of them were terrified after what they saw.

Elio witnessed his Boss's Boss get publicly executed.

Kye, on the other hand, didn't initially know who Kasai was, but he knew Phoenix.

'Someone coming with the Commander himself is obviously a big shot'

But later, when Elio told him about Kasai's position, Kye's conviction that he had made the correct decision increased and became resolute

'Challenge the wrong people and you die.'

'The head of the department died a fool's death in the Slums, Crimson Guard or not, I'm glad I know my place.'

'Everyone in Crimson-Walls, no, actually, everyone in any city in the entire Kingdom, knows that The Duke and The Librarian basically own the city.'

'And that's not metaphorically'

'They create whatever policies and laws they want as long as it doesn't directly go against the Crimsons'

'Challenging either of them is foolish, to say the least.'

Generally speaking, as long as a Duke paid his taxes and followed the Crimsons' Decrees (if they issued any), the Crimson Family didn't care how he managed his Duchy. He basically is the supreme authority inside his Duchy.

"If you don't like how a Duke governs his Duchy then leave it"

Is the only thing said when anyone, regardless of his position, complains about specific policies.

The Librarian, on the other hand, is always the second strongest person in the city.

He isn't an official ruler, but he's also appointed by The Crimson Family, which grants him pseudo-ruler privileges.

The Librarian's main duty, as stated by the Kingdom, is to (Supervise and Oversee).

The reason the concept of a Librarian exists is that when the Crimson Kingdom was first established, the Ministers and the Grand Dukes agreed that giving ultimate authority to a single individual (The Duke) was not a good idea.

They also didn't share the same view with the Crimsons, they believed that there are things that are more important than the yearly tax.

In a nutshell, the Librarian's role is to ensure that the Duke doesn't become a tyrant and to supervise the city's growth.

The entire system is a dynamic where both the Librarian and the Duke are working towards the same goal but from different perspectives, essentially keeping each other in check to maintain a balanced governance.

The only way for the Librarian and the Duke to address issues between each other is to personally travel to the Capital and file a formal complaint.

This complaint undergoes a thorough evaluation process, starting with evaluations by key figures:

The Minister of Internal Affairs, The Minister of Justice, and The Supreme Librarian.

Depending on the gravity of the matter, a special court assembled of Ministers and Grand Dukes may be summoned to examine the case.

After the court's decision, the final verdict is then forwarded to the Prime Minister for ultimate judgment.

Naturally, this intricate procedure is a lengthy one, often spanning years due to the careful examination of evidence and the detailed evaluation by The Council.

As a result, such a proceeding is very rare because it demands multiple visits to the Capital.

To sum it up, the Duke and the Librarian are nigh-invincible in their Duchy. And unless you are stronger than them, which is never the case, you can't even defend yourself from them.

'That's why no sane person does that ...'

'Who actually does that? Kasai must've had a screw loose or even 12'

While Kye was thinking that to himself, his thoughts were interrupted by a strange hissing sound ...