The Eternal Winter - Book 2 - Chapter 7 - Politics (Patreon)

                                                   Alexander North

As we walk through the ruined and frost-coated streets of the planet’s capital, I continue working on my senses. And I end up making quite a bit of progress as well. Something that I find rather nice, especially since by the time we reach the edge of the city I can sense up to a hundred or so meters away from me.

Unfortunately I can’t just go in and kill the councilmember like I wanted to. Mostly because it would turn everyone against me, making them believe me to be some sort of beast that can’t control itself.

Rather stupid, but I can understand in a way.

So we decided that I’d just go to the base and first see how they treat me. After all, if he and the people there don’t treat me well then there’s no point in not killing him. Especially considering what the bastard did to my team.

But if the people there treat me just like any regular human, or at least almost like that, then I’ll have to either figure out a way to get him kicked out of his own base, or just kill him silently after waiting a few months to shift any possible blame from me.

I could, of course, ignore all of these issues, but I don’t want to drag Cynthia and Alexia into it along with me.

The three of us and Snow all walk through the streets in silence until we enter the gate of the city and leave on the other side. But what we find is against any of our expectations.

I blink in surprise as we find a force of nearly two dozen people, all of which are symbiont hosts, standing in a formation on the other side next to a boat docked on a ruined bridge. And of the two nearly two dozen people, all but one of them are clearly soldiers from the military. Officers at that, considering their insignias. A few of them being captains, but most of them being Majors.

And the one man that is obviously not a part of the military is one wearing extremely high tech cybernetic armor seemingly enhanced by those cold energy cores. Which I’ve since learned hide the wearer from thermal vision and even hides the cold energy used in the armor.

A thought comes to me at that.

The flash of movement I saw earlier. Could that have been a soldier spying on us while wearing one of those cold energy enhanced armors?

Because that would certainly explain why they’re doing here. That or they’re here to betray Cynthia, but I doubt that.

The man in the center with the higher level tech armor seems out of place in the middle of the officers, and just out of place in this place in general. Like he should be sitting behind a desk arguing with politicians over what tourist attraction should get more money. Not in military armor outside in a wrecked city during a light snowstorm.

He’s also looking at us with his already thin eyes narrowed on my own as his voice rings out in a slightly scratchy pitch that irritates my ears, “So you really do exist.”

I frown as I quietly answer, “So I do,” not bothering to raise my voice since they’re all symbiont hosts and should be able to hear me clearly from there anyways.

Each of the soldiers have swords on them sheathed at their hips while their leader for some reason doesn’t have a weapon at all. Something I’m willing to bet money on that his bodyguards objected to, as they often do when they’re protecting a charge. Because they’d rather give them a weapon even if they don’t know how to use it just in case they’re separated.

Unsurprisingly, the councilmember doesn’t seem to particularly like my response. But despite that, all he does to show it is a very small twitch of his eye before he smiles and says, “Well then, Frost Infused, how may I address you?”

“My name is Alexander North,” I answer, quickly noticing the shocked reactions of the officers and the councilmember himself. They all quickly turn to look at my cousin after that, only for the shock to grow even greater when she nods her head, indicating that I am who I say I am.

And, of course, as soon as he learns that, the councilmember perks up and begins acting incredibly polite to me, saying, “Lord North! How wonderful it is to see you alive!” Then he goes on with a bunch of platitudes not even giving me the chance to speak before eventually asking, “Would you like to come with us to our base? I’m sure I can find you suitable accommodations there.”

Yeah, guess he did go with this reaction after all. It was the most likely one; him putting me in the same or a similar position as Cynthia.

Technically in some ways I’m more important but also less important than her. Since my father is the general in charge of the entire military, while hers is just the emperor. My father technically has more authority than hers.

It’s just the old noble structure that gives her more representative importance than me. Particularly because she has a title while I don’t, even if the titles are just superficial.

Although if my father ever did pass away or just decided to retire then I would get his title.

I glance at Cynthia for a moment, then Alexia who the councilmember hasn’t so much as glanced at this whole time, before focusing on him again and answering, “Very well.” And the man immediately brightens up more at my words, whereas the officers relax ever so slightly. Probably able to tell just how powerful I am.

Although I get the feeling the councilmember doesn’t actually realize how strong I am. He might end up regretting this decision when his officers no doubt tell him.

Not like he can take anything back now though.

“Then let’s head back to the base!” the councilmember exclaims with a wide smile. One that I notice twisting slightly into a grimace as he begins to turn around and mutters, “Because this place is unpleasant.”

I let out a sigh.

Politics. Annoying stuff. And something I never really expected to have to deal with again.

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