Chapter 9: Greater Evil
A day... three days... a week... a month.
Time passed just like that and the situation in the Dragonhead City has become more and more dangerous. Without the protection and peace brought by a City-level cultivator, it is hard for a territory to maintain order.
Chaos can be seen everywhere. People committed all sorts of crimes whether it be stealing, raping, or even killing. Every day, the city is besieged by the cosmic beasts, causing great unrest that makes many people give up on living and they fall into depravity.
Normally, with the absence of the City Lord, the City wouldn't be in this much danger considering that although they are regularly attacked by cosmic beasts, the invaders are on the weaker side.
However, the battle brought by two City-level cosmic beasts terrified thousands of cosmic beasts and many of them descended from the mountain. Even the City Lord was grievously injured because of those cosmic beasts and was in a coma. No one knows when he will recover.
It was only because while Belthric was not very talented when it came to cultivation, he was good with politics and in some sense 'manipulation'. He made sure that many guards would be loyal to the Ethelric Family. As such, at the very least, the entire family and city haven't collapsed yet and are barely holding on.
Still, the chaos inside the City grew bigger and bigger. It might not take long before chaos will fully engulf the City.
However, no matter how bad the situation was, one of the people who cares about the city the most cannot do anything. He cannot even open his eyes and even if he can, what can someone like him do?
He was too focused on cultivation that he failed time and time again. He was also not trained in politics. It can be said that he doesn't have any redeeming qualities aside from his perseverance but is perseverance enough?
He can only continue lying in his bedroom and at this moment, his mother is gently caressing his forehead.
"Zaven... it's been a month? When will you wake up? My baby, I miss you so much!"
"Even your father hasn't woken up yet. My baby, won't you be good and wake up soon? With how much your father loves you, perhaps when he hears your voice, he will immediately wake up..."
Those words tugged at Zaven's heartstrings. He badly wants to regain control over his physical body but he is unable to do so.
For a whole month, Zaven's mind was completely awake but he was in pitch-black darkness. He basically had all the free time in the world but no matter how hard he tried, he was simply unable to wake up.
If it was a normal kid, no, if it was a normal person, they might have lost their mind already. Who can endure a whole month of darkness?
It was only the times when his mother and cousin visited and talked to him that he had something to pass the time by listening to them.
"My baby please wake up soon..." his mother pleaded and deep sadness engulfed Zaven.
He wished that he had been a good kid when he still had the chance.
——
"Zaven, are you still not going to wake up? The City is in chaos. You love the Dragonhead City a lot, right? I can't protect the city on my own, I need your help, Zaven. Please wake up soon"
This time, the visitor of Zaven was his cousin. Whether it be Raven or Elena, both of them are trying hard to entice Zaven into regaining his consciousness. But no matter how much they tried to stimulate him, Zaven was still unable to break free from his coma.
"Please wake up... this is your time to shine and help the city from the crisis. Although I am doing my best to maintain order, I believe only someone like you can truly save the city. Please... please..."
Hearing those words, Zaven's emotions swelled. How can he not realize the most important thing that he has which is the love of his family?
How can he be blinded by his ambition causing him to push his cousin away from him again and again when his cousin loves him this much?
He was a fool! He was a real fool! Zaven thinks that he is the biggest fool in the world. Only now did he realize that jealousy is unnecessary. Even if he is incompetent as long as he willed it, whether it be his father, mother, or cousin, all of them will give him the position of the City Lord.
There was no need for him to act like the childish kid that he was!
—-
"Zaven... baby, be good, alright? The bad man that poisoned your father is trying to conquer our home. I won't allow that to happen!"
"I will return to my ancestral home, your grandparents' home temporarily, and ask for their aid. No matter what, your grandfather is also a City-level cultivator!"
"Even if he cannot fully deter City Lord Imba, he can at least prevent him from making a move personally!"
——-
"I'm tired... I'm so tired, Zaven. Every day, there are a lot of things to do and plan. It was not only the internal strife that we had to deal with, there was also the threat of the cosmic beasts and the City Lord Imba!"
"I feel like the city will fully collapse any time from now and I want to give up but... how can I do that? Dragonhead City is our home and also the territory that you will rule in the future! How can I give up?"
——
One month... two months... three months... four months, five months, six months!
Just like that, six whole months have passed and whether it be the City Lord or the Young Lord, both are still in a coma. Whether they can still regain consciousness or not is unknown.
"You know, only now did I fully realize the significance of a top-level cultivator. I believe that even though I was not perfect, I am still capable of making sound decisions for the city but I am facing one resistance after the other" Raven said with a tired and helpless voice.
In the first month, he regularly visited Zaven but the more time that passed, the rarer these visits happened. The situation in the city might have become more and more dangerous and dire to the point that Raven doesn't have any time to spare.
He might still be a kid but he was trained by Belthric for years already and he is also a member of the Ethelric Family. With the City Lord and the Young Lord unconscious, it was him and Elena that is managing the city.
However, Elena herself was not good either in politics or cultivation, as such, most of the burden fell on Raven.
"I can feel it, Zaven. I can feel it... if this situation goes on, the city won't even last a year. That's why... I have to change... a great change!"
"I thought of doing this early on but I am afraid that you will not recognize me if I have or that you would think differently of me but this is the only choice that I have"
"Uncle said that if someday he falls without either of us having the ability to rule the City yet... I can only do one thing"
"There is a lot of evil encroaching on the City and the defeat evil, I must become a greater evil!"
As soon as Raven finished his words, someone suddenly opened the door of Zaven's room and it was one of the few remaining guards of the Ethelric Family
"Young Master, we have finished arresting ten rebels. We cannot contain them for long since we arrested them without any evidence, what should we do?" The guard asked and Raven stood up, his aura rising constantly.
With the unrest in the city, naturally, many forces and factions were trying to swallow the city and become its new rulers. However, these rebels are very slippery.
They are rebels that covet the city but they don't leave any evidence behind that can be used against them. Even though Raven is smart and has learned many political moves, he still cannot obtain enough evidence especially since everyone looked down on him for being young and weak.
However, that soon will change!
"We don't have proof but rebels are still rebels. They deserve to die!" Raven said causing the guard to be shocked.
"D-die...? Y-Young Master... you don't m-mean..."
Without even facing the guard, Raven only stared at Zaven's sleeping face.
"Prepare for a public execution! I will personally kill these rebels with my own hands as a warning to everyone. This is the territory of the Ethelric Family and my family is its rulers!" Raven declared loudly as he very slightly loosened the suppression on his talent and in an instant, without doing anything and just releasing the suppression he imposed on himself, he directly broke through to the Town-level!