Chapter 2855: The Big Picture
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Three Mischief Encampment
"Corey, you can continue visiting and staying in touch with your parents in the VR universe. Tell them whatever you need to reassure them that you and your family are safe. Donāt hold back on my account. The Southern Princess knowing what Iām up to wonāt change anything. I am sure someone as intelligent as her will find other ways to get what she wants."
I heard Corey out till I saw the storm inside her settled, and she was clear headed enough to listen to reason. I gave her permission to do whatever was necessary to ease her parentsā worries. It was my attempt to quietly nudge in the right direction, one that had nothing to do with storming palaces or trading blows with princesses.
Seeing her nod in understanding, I said, "Let us return to the city."
"With him?" the Field Marshal asked, pointing at Peyote. Returning to the city with a devil in tow would set off alarms in every watchful mind. Even those who had no issue with us before might reconsider after this.
"What about announcing our victory?" Corey was more concerned about putting out a statement in the world, especially now that she knew what the Southern Princess had done to her parents.
"Peyote, morph into a human or some kind of mount," I ordered. Then, turning to Corey and the Field Marshal, I laid out my decision. "Iām no longer planning to make an announcement. The moment we do, theyāll answer with something stronger. Itāll spiral into a tit-for-tat, and before long, more lives will be lost and more families torn apart.
"What weāre doing here doesnāt just concern us. It concerns peopleās lives and their future. We canāt let a few seconds of anger or the need for vindication cloud our judgment and make us forget whatās truly at stake.
"I suppose what Iām trying to say is this: my campaign for world domination wonāt be a spectacle of power. Itāll be a quiet shift, one that steers the world toward its best self."
Actually, I had a grand announcement plannedāone that would echo across all five regions, challenging masters and world leaders alike. Even without a world decree, I could have used my celestial voice to broadcast it, mimicking the very method the central government and the four royal families used to brand me, my friends, and my city as traitors. Every person, every card apprentice across the five regions, would have heard it as clearly as if I were whispering into their ear.
I even had the Card Celestial hold back the blessing it would normally grant for killing an actual devil invading the Card World. For a few seconds, the blood storm would have cleared, and an aurora would have spread across the skies of the five regions, confirming my achievement to all.
But after seeing how Corey and her parents were caught in the crossfire, after witnessing their suffering firsthand, those plans no longer held. The damage this time was minimal, still salvageable. Yet it was a stark reminder of how easily things could have spiraled into something far worse.
The one thing I hated most was seeing someone innocent suffer for my mistakes. And in this situation, that risk was all too real. So I reined in my urge to give those who branded us traitors the finger, provoking them. Instead, I chose to hold on to the bigger picture.
"Wyatt, I think thatās a brilliant decision," the Field Marshal said at once, well aware of how peopleās minds worked.
Wars might begin for a greater cause, but they endure and reignite on the fuel of rage, pride, and revenge. First, the people lose sight of why it began. Then the leaders do. And before long, the whole world is burning.
The fact that her leader could see that and act on it reassured her that she had chosen correctly. Many leaders could recognize the truth of it, but not all had the courage or strength to act on it.
"Oops, Iām sorry, Wyatt. I really didnāt mean to, but I already posted an announcement on the grimoire network and the VR universe," Corey exclaimed in pretend panic, while the Field Marshal shook her head with a quiet sigh. Corey hadnāt even bothered to sell the actāit was painfully obvious.
I shot her a dark look and had Hive Spirit pull up her posts, ready to scrub them before they caused any real damage. But all I saw were a few clips of her and Lilā Baem fighting the two devil merchants Gideon called for, and then Konjur and Peyote, with captions that read,
āIām here and taking over the world. Stop me if you can.ā
She had even tagged the Southern Princess.
I wasnāt sure whether to be annoyed or relieved that sheād limited herself to a few aggressive posts. It was nothing extreme like I had planned in my mind. In the end, I let them be. Revealing my control over the grimoire network and the VR-universe over such an issue wasnāt worth it. Many already suspected it, and some even knew, but none could prove it. For now, that uncertainty would continue to remain.
Before leaving, I even liked her posts. Screw the Southern Princess. Then I noticed the Field Marshal liking them too, which made me wonder if she was following me on the grimoire network and the VR universe. Actually, Corey shared the posts with all of us, but yes, the Field Marshal was... I decided not to bring it up.
"Do you still dare deny that you didnāt slap me on purpose?" Peyote yelled, furious, as Corey deliberately showed him the posts sheād madeāespecially the shot of her smacking the snot out of him.
"Now that weāre on the same side, Iāll be honest with you. Yes, I did slap you on purpose," Corey admitted, her face blank and eyes indifferent. The Field Marshal and Karl burst out laughing at Peyoteās expense, especially at the expression he made on hearing her say it so plainly.
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