798 The great migration [1]

[He gives the impression that we have a choice, but if the vast majority of the population abandons us, what are we supposed to do to make a living? Because no one is working anymore, nothing will work, and we will simply be forced to relocate along with everyone else.]

[I have every right to be angry. Why do we have to abandon our current lives? I understand that there will soon be a war, but what would be the point of fleeing? In the event that they end up losing, the next thing that will come under attack will be this new "safe haven." It's such an idiotic thing to do.]

[Whose choice was it to appoint him as the Head of the Alliance? Since Octavious is the most capable, he ought to be the one to take charge of everything... He was a significantly more capable leader than Ren ever was or ever will be.]

Click―!

"Huuu."

I turned off the screen and took a deep breath. It took every bit of strength I had not to rip the TV in half and start yelling curses.

'Do you really think there won't be any backlash?'

'I'm certain.'

My words were starting to haunt me.

When I thought about the words that I had said to Octavious with such confidence some time ago, I felt the anger that I had been attempting to stifle rise up once more, and I almost threw a fit.

'Fuck, and here I had hopes people were a lot smarter.'

I had given them too much credit.

'I now understand how presidents, or whoever is in charge, feel when they are in office.'

No matter what they did, they were going to get criticized, and the majority of the time, the people who were criticizing them probably didn't even have a complete understanding of what was happening and were just imitating the voices in their ears.

"Ignorance at its best, I guess."

I leaned back against my chair.

In a way, what they said wasn't completely faultless. The economy and society that had been established would collapse as a result of everyone migrating, leaving those who were left behind to fend for themselves.

I kind of knew this beforehand.

It was not difficult to foresee the effects that a massive migration would have on the economy and the functioning of society, but it was a necessary step for humanity.

If they did not migrate, the casualties that would come from the Third Cataclysm would simply be too disastrous.

You could say that I was aware of the repercussions that would come with the migration, but I chose not to act on them.

It was so that I'd indirectly force them to go to Immorra.

"Shit, am I becoming a politician?"

Oh no.

To Tok―!

A knock brought me out of my delusions, and Amanda entered the room. Her previously relaxed face became contorted as she surveyed the room.

"It's a mess."

"That…"

I looked around me and shut my mouth before I could even retort. There was a lot of clutter in the room, and there was nothing I could say to persuade her otherwise.

With papers strewn everywhere and sofa cushions thrown about in the room, I gave up resisting before putting up a fight.

"Come, I'm ready."

I stood up and extended both of my arms.

"?"

Amanda's head cocked to the side; visible confusion etched on her face.

"Ready for what?"

"…For the punishment."

"What punishment?"

Amanda took a step back and wearily looked at me.

"Why would I punish you? You're a grown adult, and I'm not your mother. You should know better and take care of your surroundings without the need for me to tell you."

That…

That hurt a lot more than I thought.

"Oh."

I lifelessly sat down in my seat.

"What are you getting all grumpy for?"

Amanda moved behind me, placing her hands over my shoulders and gently kneading them. It felt rather good as I leaned back and relaxed.

Okay…

I guess I could forgive her.

Not that I was mad at her, to begin with.

"How's the migration going?"

I asked Amanda while closing my eyes.

Her soothing voice reached my ears as I basked in the relaxing feeling.

'I needed this.'

"So far, everything has been going without a hitch. Those who come from the same districts are being moved over one at a time, and according to Ryan's calculations, the process should be finished in about a week's time."

"A week's time?"

Hmm, that was faster than I expected. I'd originally thought I'd take a month, but apparently, I had severely underestimated how well organized the Alliance was.

With their help, everything was sorted out rather quickly.

"Do you have a list of how many chose to remain on earth?"

"Mhm."

Amanda nodded her head and removed her hands from my shoulders. I instantly felt that something was missing, but I kept it all to myself.

She leaned against the desk.

"Surprisingly, there aren't a lot of people that are choosing to stay behind. The majority of those who have chosen to remain are elderly people and people who feel a strong connection to the land and the homes they have lived in all their lives."

"I see."

This was in line with what I had anticipated, but it was reassuring to learn that the number of people who decided to stay put was relatively low.

I'd make things a lot simpler and less difficult for myself.

"What about the situation with the demons? Have you cleaned them all up?"

"About that…"

Amanda's expression changed a little.

She looked rather troubled.

"What is it? Did something happen? Spit it out?"

"No, well…"

Amanda sighed and looked at me.

"It's Emma. She's taken charge of the operation at your orders, but she seems adamant about talking with you at the moment. She's been calling me nonstop for the past few days, and I'm not really sure what I should do…"

Listening to her words, I turned my head away from Amanda.

'Well, shit.'

I didn't need Amanda to clarify further what Emma wanted to talk to me about. It was probably the whereabouts of her father.

Waylan…

I had long seen this coming and had been delaying it for as long as possible.

I… even after all of this time, struggled to think of ways to explain to her what had happened to her father, and while telling her the truth was something that I needed to do, I found it rather hard to do so.

How was I going to tell her that her father wasn't the person she thought he was?

'If only Kevin was still here…'

"Well? What should I tell her?"

Amanda's voice brought me back, and I pursed my lips.

Phone in hand, she looked at me.

"If you want, I can message her right now. I'm not exactly sure since I'm not with her, but I've been getting reports that she's rather restless these days. I think… you should talk to her."

"I know…"

I sighed and leaned back against the chair.

"For now, tell Emma to focus on her mission. Regarding her father, tell her that he's on a very important mission. A secretive one, and that he won't be able to meet her for a while. I'll fill her in on the details later."

"…Okay."

Amanda's thumb quickly moved across the screen of her phone, and she quickly sent the message. She then looked at me while putting the phone away.

"What really happened to her father?"

"Huh?"

I raised my brow.

"What do you mean?"

"Ren…"

Amanda sighed.

"…For how long do you think we've known each other for? You may be able to fool others because your poker face makes it difficult to read your expressions, but you can't fool me. I've spent enough time with you to know what you're thinking."

"Oh."

I scooted my chair back while warily looking at Amanda.

"You're clearly hiding something about Oliver, and while I won't force you to tell me, I can tell at a glance that he's not on some sort of secret mission."

The room fell into a state of silence after her words.

I honestly didn't know what to say at this moment, I was being completely seen through by Amanda.

'Somehow… I don't feel bitter about it.'

I'd normally feel uncomfortable if someone read through my intentions, but the same wasn't true for Amanda. I somehow felt a bit better, and my shoulders seemed to relax.

"I really can't beat you."

I sighed while shaking my head.

She truly was…

"Here."

"Thank you."

Amanda presented me with a glass of water, and I took a sip. Feeling the coolness in my mouth, I opened my mouth but then closed it again.

Turning my head to look at her, I had a sudden thought.

I smiled.

"Hey, Amanda."

"Yes?"

She looked at me, her brows slowly coming together. The sight made me smile even more as I suddenly stood up and moved toward her.

She scooted back into the desk.