67 Victory Celebration

The defeat of the demons at Taquila marked the end of a long campaign which had started when the demons had first attacked Neverwinter from the skies. The initial attack of the demons on Neverwinter had failed. The humans had began their counterattack through the extension of the railway defensive line. Then the demons had struck into the core of human territory before ultimately being repelled. Now, the long conflict had come to a conclusion with the decisive victory at Taquila.

The survival of humanity had been secured for the time being. However, humanity would only have a brief reprieve. This campaign had only been the prelude for the war to come.

For now, everyone could celebrate. For a short time they didn't have to worry about the trials ahead of them. They had won a great victory and it was an accomplishment worthy of celebration.

In Hermes, a grand victory celebration was held. It begun with a military parade of all of the soldiers who had fought in the war. It would be a grand display of military power as the strength of the new armies was shown.

Furthermore, for this occasion the tank had finished being repaired. The tank was at the front of the procession and it lead the way while the soldiers followed behind it. Atop the tank, with the hatch open, stood Zero. She was the great hero who saved the armies from the powerful demon that had almost defeated them. As she rode through the streets atop the tank, the crowds cheered.

The military procession made its way through the streets. It took a long winding path to increase the exposure. Finally, it reached the cathedral at the center of Hermes. Rows and rows of soldiers began lining the plaza.

After everyone had gathered, Prime Minister Steven gave a speech extolling the virtues of the soldiers, praising them for their tremendous bravery and honor. He emphasized the important role that all of them played in helping to defeat the demons and thanked them all for their service.

All of the soldiers who had survived the war were there, including all of the ordinary pikemen that were hastily conscripted. They did their jobs in being adequate meatshields, so the few that survived deserved to be rewarded. Of course, Steven didn't refer to them as meatshields; they were the valiant vanguard that held back the demon tide.

Now, it was time for all of them to be awarded medals. Each and every soldier walked up individually onto the platform and recieved a medal from Steven. There were thousands of soldiers, and it was very much not an enjoyable experience for Steven. He couldn't wait for this to be over, but unfortunately there was still more.

All of the soldiers also received a modest sum of money as a bonus. It was important to do so in order to increase the morale and public perception of the soldiers. One of the main goals of the event was to make the armed forces seem more appealing in order to increase recruitment.

Next, Steven had to make yet another speech thanking all who died for their great service while praising their willingness to make sacrifices for the greater good. The families of the deceased soldiers all received their insurance payout which was quite a considerable sum. This was done publicly to reassure the civilians in the audience that the promises made were authentic. The entire event was actually focused on public opinion after all.

After several hours, it was finally over. By now, it was already midday and it was time for the grand feast and the other festivities. Large amounts of food had been prepared which would be free for the people on this day. The assembled crowds soon dispersed as people began gorging themselves on the food available.

Meanwhile, Steven had enough of everything. After finishing the lengthy speeches and awards, he stayed until the crowd dispersed. After that, he quickly returned inside and decided to just lay down for several hours. He did at least go back to his room first so that others wouldn't see him sprawled out like that. Zero also ended up going back to the cathedral; she didn't feel like being outside mingling with random people.

Steven had no real desire to be outside for the rest of the day. The ordinary people were all having fun eating and socializing, but he didn't need free food and he had spent way too much time with people already that day. He was more than content to spend the rest of his day in his room.

Meanwhile, the people outside were in high spirits as the citywide party went on. The returning soldiers were the subject of much attention and many of them had begun receiving proposals from women. All of the focus on them was rather disconcerting and many of them didn't know what to do.

The celebration continued well throughout the afternoon and into the night. For dinner, one of Neverwinter's customs, the hot pot, had been adopted. It was a good idea for cooking for large groups during the night and it brought people together as they huddled around the pots. People leisurely put their food in to cook and while they waited they talked with their friends.

Many of the soldiers were asked to share war stories around the fire. They talked about their heroic deeds during the battle and embellished their accomplishments. The people listening felt awed with the bravery of the soldiers who stared down hordes of demons without even flinching.

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Steven nuzzled the warm softness beside him. His arms were wrapped around Zero and their naked bodies were entwined with each other on top of the bed. The were both tired after their activities.

Steven lifted his head from its place between Zero's breasts. "Hey Zero."

"Mmm", the voice beside him murmured.

"I've been thinking, I wish you would be able to finally become the pope, publically that is." Steven looked thoughtful. "I mean, it's not going to make that much of a difference in terms of actual decision making, but it would nice for you to finally be recognized."

"Well, that is still a work in progress", Zero replied. "The old archbishops are slowly dying off like Tayfun did a week ago, and we are slowly replacing them with supporters. It will take a while, but it will happen eventually. Making the idea acceptable to people will take some time considering how no witch had been pope for hundreds of years."

"Maybe we could do something to speed things up", said Steven. "Well, we can think about that later."

Steven shifted his body slightly. "Another round?"

"Sure", replied Zero.