Disparity : Undercurrents

After an expedited stage of processing, Vahn found himself in a room that was closer to a high-end hotel than a cell. It looked a little dated, almost like a fusion between ancient roman architecture and modern sensibilities, but it was infinitely better than the accommodations of normal Gladiators. They had even assigned a beautiful Demihuman slave to serve as his 'attendant', a mistake that resulted in the woman 'miraculously' disappearing, leaving behind an undamaged slave collar.

In the Akamatsuverse, Slaves were supposed to be a protected class that, unless their contracts had specified otherwise, were meant to be properly cared for. Instead, most experienced Slavers happily took advantage of loopholes within the system, finding leverage against their 'product' that allowed them to control every aspect of their lives.

If a Slave had their weakness abused and decided to accept the conditions of their so-called Master, they could even be beaten or killed in the middle of a public square and it wouldn't be considered a crime. This was absolutely ridiculous, but, like the fools they were, most people blamed the Slaves for 'giving permission' to be treated in such a manner. It was a system that blamed the victim instead of the people proactively exploiting others, a truly ludicrous arrangement that Vahn obviously wouldn't tolerate. Thus, when they brought a scantily clad woman to 'attend' him, Vahn graciously accepted before promptly disabling the supposedly tamper-proof collar and teleporting her away with some supplies and equipment.

After being warned by the Imperial Magistrate, the overseers and other Coliseum personnel didn't even bother to ask where Vahn's attendant went. Instead, they recovered the slave collar for analysis before leaving a pushcart full of food in the room. Afterward, they quickly alighted without so much as even attempting to lock the door.

Seeing the group flee his room, Vahn could only shake his head before walking out onto the open veranda. His accommodations were truly ridiculous, almost like he was a guest of honor instead of a prisoner. It wasn't just him, either, as there were several rooms similar in structure to his, each having soundproofing barriers and an elevated view of the arena below.

Vahn already knew about the rather drastic class divide that existed in Mundus Magicus, but, seeing it first hand, he couldn't help but feel a marginal amount of incredulity. He knew things would get a lot better after the Great Magic War, as around 13% of the global population would become victims of the conflict, but that didn't matter in the present. Right now, he could sense thousands of people suffering just within the vicinity of his domain, many from entirely preventable circumstances...

With the Coliseum being the most frequented area of the entire city, even more so than the red light district, there were between 80,000~100,000 people present at any given moment. It only shut down for a few hours each night, allowing fierce battles to be fought for nearly eighteen hours a day. It was a truly sad sight to behold, as, despite the state of their own bodies, there were thousands of people on the verge of starvation loudly cheering for the bloody affair below. Many even gambled away the pittance they had earned from a day of hard labor, desperately hoping to win big instead of saving their money and investing it into other things...

Seeing the crowd's frenzy from within the confines of his soundproof barrier, Vahn couldn't help but release a sigh. Even in a world where currency had basically been outlawed, people still found ways to gamble and exchange benefits. Instead of using real-world currency, they traded favors inside the Virtual World. There had even been a black market that popped up out of nowhere, but, due to their strict observation of the Common Law, at least in the real world, it was difficult to take action against them.

Vahn was well-aware of the fact that the world tried to impose a careful balance between positive and negative karma. You had to constantly remain vigilant, as, the moment you turned a blind eye to certain issues, they would quickly evolve into even greater problems down the line. It was one of the most frustrating aspects of existence, but, without it, Vahn knew people couldn't be happy. Free will could not thrive in a Utopian environment, as, at some point, people would simply become 'bored'...

Shaking his head, Vahn turned away from the arena before returning to his lavish room and enjoying a hot bath. He knew the folly of trying to save everyone, so, following the unwritten creed of Vagrant Heroes, he would only save those right in front of him. He would become a nightmare to those who exploited others, eventually making the world a better place by simply instilling fear into the hearts of any who intended to rule over others. At the same time, he would help the needy that crossed his path, rewarding their persistence in acknowledgment of the fate that had brought them together...

---

Unaware of the storm brewing within the Hellas Empire, a powerful undercurrent had already taken hold within the self-proclaimed, 'Greatest Nation in the Magical World', Megalomesembria. Here, it was possible to see thousands of Airfish flying about, and, unlike other regions of the Magical World, various other forms of transport, such as automobiles and air scooters were present. There was also a distinct lack of flora and fauna, as, due to the 'progressive' views of the Megalomsembrian Senate, most Elemental Spirits had long-since fled the outwardly beautiful but inwardly rotten nation.

Though Megalomesembria also had the infamous 'Magic Council', self-assigning themselves the title of Greatest Mages in Mundus Magicus, the overall population consisted of less than 1% Magi. Unlike other regions of Mundus Magicus, where anyone with the talent could learn, the study and practice of Magic within Megalomesembria were restricted to the upper class and military. They believed the unrestricted practice of Magic only caused problems, so, unless you joined the military and worked hard to prove your loyalty, practicing Magic without permission all but ensured you would be sent away for 're-education'.

Despite their stance on Magic, Megalomesembria had turned itself into the leading Superpower due to their unrivaled economy and incomparable military might. They were also the only industrialized nation in the entire world, allowing them to make scientific advancements and breakthroughs that kept them ahead of the rest of the world. In fact, with very few exceptions, every piece of advanced technology that entered the market had originated in Megalomesembria. These devices were 'very' expensive exports, so, unless you were extremely wealthy, obtaining advanced technology was very difficult.

As could be expected, the Megalomesembrian Confederacy was the largest association of human settlements within Mundus Magicus. They were situated in the far North within a region that once held a vast amount of Aetherium, Orichalcum, and Mithril Ore deposits. Most of these mines dried up long ago, as a result of the Elemental Spirits abandoning the area, but there was still enough to allow them to sustain their ever-expanding industry. As for other materials, such as food and clean water, they simply imported them in from other countries, often by strongarming weaker nations into extremely one-sided deals.

The only countries that could directly rival the Megalomesembrian Confederacy were the Hellas Empire and the Vespertatia Kingdom. Every other country either had to acquiesce to the brutish Superpower or form alliances with other nations, specifically Hellas and Vespertatia. Unfortunately, even with stronger physiques and a greater affinity for Magic than humans, the various Demihuman races still struggled under the oppressive might of the Megalomesbrian Senate's Armada. After all, it took years to train and condition powerful Mages and soldiers, the majority of which could be killed by a single well-placed shot from a Magic Rifle.

What confounded most residents of Mundus Magicus was the fact that Megalomesembria had been able to rise as a Superpower despite upsetting the Elemental Spirits. They had somehow developed a method to circumvent the wrath of nature, and, according to some of the Greater Elemental Spirits, some of their brethren had even 'died' by means they were unaware of. This was something that was difficult for most scholars to believe, as, due to the nature of their existence, Spirits were supposed to be immortal.

The truth of the matter, known only to a select few members of the Megalomesembrian Senate, was that their success was largely the result of contracting powerful Demons, a species hailing from the Demon World that existed on the Reverse Side of Venus. They were remnants of a highly advanced civilization that, in the ancient past, even began spreading its roots through the galaxy in the search for 'Absolute Immortality'. Instead, the only thing they found was the key to their civilization's ruin, and, after several apocalyptic wars, the only survivors were those that fled to the Reverse Side, much like how some humans had abandoned Earth, fleeing to the Reverse Side of Mars, the true location of the Magical World.

Demons had vast knowledge, and, though it had thinned through the generations, they made use of a unique Magic derived from destruction, darkness, and corruption. They were the natural predators of Spirits, as, unlike other races, who borrowed the power of Spirits, Demons could 'consume' them in their entirety. This characteristic could be passed down to their children, so, after several hundred years of intermingling, most of the affluent families within Megalomesembria had some genealogy tracing back to the Demons of Venus.

Though it was a very well-kept secret, the truth of the matter was that nearly every member of the Magic Council borrowed their power from a Demon. They had even used this as the template for the creation of the Pactio system, one of the pillars of Western Magecraft back in the Old World. Without it, they would have struggled to find a footing within Mundus Magicus, as, unlike most Demihumans, humans were not born with an innate talent for Magic.

With very few exceptions, most humans were unable to commune with the elements. They also had a difficult time sensing the mana in the environment, so, without specialized training, most humans struggled to compete against the more magically inclined races. It was for this reason they focused on innovation and the advancement of technology, slowly bridging the gap between themselves and the other races without regard to the impact their actions had on the environment.

Ironically, humans did possess an attribute that most Demihumans lacked, an affinity with internal energy, colloquially known as Ki. Ancient humans had pioneered the usage of Ki, and, over several thousand years, various schools that could rival even the most powerful branches of Magecraft had come into existence. The only caveat was that mastering Ki required an inordinate amount of effort and several years of intense training. This was more effort than most people were willing to put into something, so, unless they were born into a traditional family, the 'easy' solution was just master the use of enchanted equipment and artifacts. A Magic Pistol could even kill a Master Martial Artist in a single shot, so, rather than put in the effort to improve, they focused on creating weapons that made the efforts of others irrelevant.

Due to the cultivation of a supremacist mentality, one which placed humans above all other races, it was only natural that animosity existed between Megalomesembria and other nations. This had been the catalyst behind several wars, some of which had wiped entire countries off the map. Now, with a surprisingly long forty years since the last war, tensions had begun to build due to an ever-growing population and a constant demand for imported foodstuffs.

The biggest weakness of the Megalomesembrian Confederacy was that their destructive nature and disregard for the environment made it virtually impossible to grow healthy crops. They were able to grow staple goods within specially constructed greenhouses, but, without steady shipments from the Old World and the various countries they forced to supply them, their people would constantly be on the verge of starvation. Thus, whenever their population grew beyond their means to supply it, it became 'necessary' to wage war.

With a growing number of people fleeing the territories, the Megalomesembrian Senate had already made preparations to close the borders. They had been stockpiling supplies for years, but, as could be deduced from the constantly increasing prices, everyone knew a war was coming. This was both a result of greedy merchants and the machinations of the Megalomesembrian Senate itself, as, when the people feared starvation and constant inflation, they joined the military in record numbers. They would need a constant supply of footsoldiers and fodder to occupy conquered territory, so, with war imminent, greater incentives had been used to bait in new recruits while the Media, the government-controlled propaganda machine, began spreading nationalistic and xenophobic sentiments.

Though most citizens knew their government was exceptionally flawed, they were easily swayed by the vocal minority and a constant bombardment of propaganda. After all, while there were a large number of Demihuman slaves in Megalomesembria, a truth most people accepted as 'normal', they still got riled up at the mere thought of human slaves in Demihuman countries. This was the result of fundamentalist indoctrination at a very young age, teaching children that the human race was simply superior, making it 'wrong' for them to be enslaved to others.

When you only ever saw scenes of Demihumans beating and mistreating human slaves in the Media, it was simply 'easier' to forget that humans treated most Demihuman slaves much worse. Since that wasn't shown in the Media, however, people unrelated to the slave trade pretended it wasn't really an issue. When they heard about something cruel happening to a Demihuman slave, they just shook their heads and acted as if it was just a rare exception, lambasting the slave owner for getting out of hand while ignoring the crux of the problem entirely...

---

Gazing out over vibrant cityscape of Megalomesembria, which seemed even brighter during at night than it was during the day, a young man with green hair and silvery eyes couldn't help but smile in a sadistic manner as he saw a group of human children kicking a homeless Demihuman in an alleyway. Other people, including Demihumans, just walked by without doing anything to intervene, ignoring the scene entirely or hastening their steps to leave the area. From their point of view, it had nothing to do with them, so, rather than seek trouble and risk being labeled as a Demihuma sympathizer, it was easier to just mind their own business...

Interrupting his good mood, the youth's face instantly morphed into a frown as he heard a knocking on his door. His body then flickered with an illusory light, changing his appearance to that of a much older man with swept-back grey hair, a wiry figure, and a neatly maintained goatee. Then, pulling out a pair of square-rimmed glasses, he placed them upon the bridge of his nose before saying in a tone that grated on the ears, "Enter..."

In response to the man's voice, a dull clicking could be heard as the door released its latch and then slid open with a hydraulic hiss. The other side revealed a burly man with an expression that seemed to be permanently affixed into a scowl. He had short black hair that was slicked back using a rather high-quality mousse, but, giving him a somewhat demonic look, there were two long 'horns' formed from hair that stuck out from his scalp. He also had pale-gold eyes that seemed to shine in the low light visible within the office, further lending to the illusion he was more demon than human...

A stark contrast to the sadistic smile he had worn earlier, the now-transformed young man offered a kindly smile as he asked, "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit, Senator Ricardos?"

As if it was impossible for him not to appear demonic, despite being one of the only pure-blooded humans left in the Megalomesembrian Senate, Senator Ricardos adopted a massive, toothy, grin as he said, "Senator McGill, it is good to see you! I just wanted to stop by to discuss the military budget for this quarter. I noticed there were several million Drachma being allocated to a project that hasn't been approved by the Senate Majority. I'm curious about what kind of excuse you have prepared for the Auditing Committee!? Gyahahahahaha~."

Resisting the urge to simply kill the man and be done with it, 'Senator McGill' issued a light chuckle of his own before gesturing to the nearby set of chairs and asking, "Shall we discuss it over a cup of tea? It has been a long time since I had the opportunity to host a member of the Finance Committee. This is a good opportunity to foster rapport between our divisions, so allow me to pour you a cup as we discuss the matter. After all, while I did not receive approval from the Senate Majority, I'm certain you will find that my actions are all above-board. Were that not the case, there would currently be a set of prison bars separating us, ohohoho~."

Hearing the confidence in Senator McGill's tone, Ricardos squinted his eyes before gesturing to the group of armed soldiers behind them. If McGill didn't have a 'very' good reason for his behavior, the men outside would arrest him for unauthorized use of government funds and treason. After all, they were on the verge of war, making such 'antics' harder to overlook than they would have been during more peaceful times.

Deciding to humor the old man for a short while, Ricardos accepted a cup of Bolivian Black Tea, one of the rare imports from the Old World. He, like most of the Senators, had antibodies that prevented most poisons from having any effect on them, so, without worrying too much about tampering, he downed the piping hot beverage before releasing a contented sigh and saying, "Well, out with it. You already know my intentions so you'll need a pretty good excuse to avoid some embarrassment."

Acting as if he didn't mind Ricardos' words, Senator McGill just issued another light-hearted laugh before pulling out a handheld terminal used for communication. This brought a frown to Ricardos' face, as, displayed on a small blue screen, a very familiar number was present. Though it could be a bluff, things would become very troublesome if he arrested someone acting under the secret orders of the Consul himself. Consuls held the second-highest rank in the Megalomesembrian Senate, and, until a Princeps Senatus was declared, they had unchecked authority regarding military affairs.

Though it would undoubtedly be a setback in his own career, Ricardos couldn't simply assume that Senator McGill was telling the truth. There was a chance he was borrowing the authority of a Consul, an even greater offense, so he had no choice but to accept the terminal and press the call button. To his surprise, it almost immediately connected to the Consul, with the latter asking, "McGill? Why are you calling me this late? Is there a problem with the project?"

Before Ricardos could announce his presence, McGill gestured for him to remain silent, a 'kind' smile on his face as he answered, "I just wanted to inform you that the second set of tests has gone well. If all goes as planned, Project Noctis will be completed before the war is in full swing. I hope this news has made your evening even marginally more pleasant."

In response to McGill's words, a boisterous laugh could be heard from the, followed by the Consul exclaiming, "Good, no, great, no, excellent! This is wonderful news, McGill! At this rate, your place in the Consulate is all but guaranteed! A few more years of service and I may very well be able to retire! Let me know when the next stage of testing begins. I want to see these special soldiers with my own eyes."

Allowing Ricardos to remain silent, McGill continued to smile kindly as he stated, "I will keep that in mind, your eminence. Have a wonderful evening..."

With the call having concluded, McGill took his terminal back from Ricardos' hand, smiling with an amused expression on his face as he asked, "Will there be anything else, Senator Ricardos...?"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I have a feeling Vahn is about to cut loose in a dangerous way o_o...','Why does this sound so familiar...?','Is this the birth of a Shadow Emissary!?')

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