[- I don’t know what to do…]

- It’s fine hon, you made the right choice.

Elicia wouldn’t interfere on Jack’s matters as long as they didn’t influence her own. The thing with the Goblin Empire was one of these. She was in charge of managing the internal affairs of the island and sending resources to the colony - so the imminent attack on the colony weren’t something she had to deal with.

[- Still…]

Elicia walked to his side and rested her head on his shoulders. Both were on Red Dragon form, so putting her hands on his shoulders would be difficult.

- It’s fine. We have to make difficult decisions sometimes. The colony people may feel wronged, but Timoty would have rolled over then as well. If they can’t deal even with the Goblin Empire folks, which chance did they have?

[ - Maybe Timoty would ask for reparations only?... Besides, the Goblin Empire people where all crazy folks to begin with. I don’t doubt for them to be brutal beyond limits.]

One’s true inclinations cannot stay hidden for long. It’s true that, in Another World, the number of psychopaths and sociopaths was way lower than earth - and that most people, in the beginning, valued human life. However, after discovering that “reincarnation” was a fact, and not a theory, such notions as “the importance of life” gradually disappeared for many - specially for the folks on the Goblin Empire, which liked violence from the beginning. The problem was - as much as human life wasn’t in so much peril, the human mind was! Boundless violence would always bring lots of problems for people, including traumas and neurosis. Some people would even become incapable of progressing in levels due to their brains being wired in weird ways after trauma. Trying to progress in certain skills would bring a lot of pain to them, or even insanity, and the only chance they had was by increasing their mental resistance skills - which weren’t easy to increase in the first place.

- Things aren’t simple like that hon. He would want to kill Marcus and everyone else.

[ - Then shouldn’t I just let them go and be done with it?]

- That wouldn’t happen hon.

[*sigh*]

Jack knew that wouldn’t happen as well. As soon as he finished changing people’s avatar’s ages and race, it was sure for the Goblin Empire folks to “ask” for sanctuary as “political refugees” and refuse to go.

Then, if he forced them out of the island, the Goblin Empire army would attack nonetheless. War seemed unavoidable.

Jack’s expression turned sour.

[- What should I do, then?]

Elicia raised her head and sighed as well.

- Whatever you want.

[- Shouldn’t I help them?]

- If you want to.

[-… Helping would mean being trapped in that weird interest’s net. I don’t want to become another one lured into these power games.]

Dragon King Colony was on the verge of war. Since Dragon King’s Island (2) was a bad place to attack, the Goblin Empire decided to try and persuade Jack into taking action by attacking that place.

- Where you the one who settled the colony?

[- No]

- Do you have a duty to protect them?

[- … yeah.]

- Why?

[-…. I don’t know.]

- Then, …

[- I just feel like that is something I should do.] - Jack interrupted Elicia - [- Like it is my duty as King or something. Noblesse Oblige, this kind of things. Besides, what will the Empire people do to the folks over there? We know some of them, and I don’t want for them to suffer. I don’t think they deserve to suffer because of a stupid m*th*rf*ck*r who is trying to make me do something! I just f*ck*ng hate these kinds of people the most! The hell is he thinking?! I’m not his lackey, and I shouldn’t be the colony people’s lackey as well!]

Elicia remained silent. She didn’t need to do much now, since her objective was to have Jack venting his feelings and thoughts in order to understand them. If he stopped midway, then she would try and help him alleviate his inner conflict a bit more.

[- If only the people at the Colony weren’t such a bunch of idiots as well! They could have fled. They still can! They just need to use the teleport formations on the city, and they will be here in a jiff! Why the hell do I need to protect people who are only being stubborn?!]

Jack made a slight pause on his speech. However, Elicia said nothing. She knew his traits - he didn’t need help just yet.

[- Stubborn orcs, stubborn settlers, stubborn government, I hate them all! Why can’t they just live in peace and let me be?! Shit!]

- Then don’t help them. You have no obligation to them.

[- Yeah. But I still feel guilty. Somehow, they only exist there because I allowed. In here as well. And I do understand their point. The people here feel that this island is their home. They don’t think it is mine and I’m letting them freeload. They think “since we have lived here for 30 years already, this land is ours!”. Just like the people at the colony. I used to think the same thing back on mom’s house…]

Elicia smiled faintly. Indeed, Jack had such mentality! However, hadn’t his mother tossed him out? She herself had tossed him in the streets as well.

[- Well, she didn’t endure it for long anyway…]

Jack’s tone became milder. One’s skills could make them resistant, strong and so on. But wouldn’t change their basic personalities. Squeam didn’t dare to mess with the areas in the brain in charge of one’s basic personality, values and morals. Of course, with the brain being changed a lot, these areas ended up changing quite a bit as well. For example, Jack didn’t feel such difficulty to act and work anymore. He liked being lazy but wouldn’t get to the point of being a depressive NEET or ending up at the prefecture shelter. Unless he wanted to, of course.

In the end, he still needed to vent his frustrations the old way.

[ - Maybe I’m just overthinking this whole thing. I can understand the Goblin Empire’s people side as well - they are desperate because, even if they reincarnate, they won’t have the ways to reclaim their old memories so soon. But that’s their own fault! Why should I pay for them not being able to give up on their greed?!]

Elicia listened attentively, despite Jack’s ups and downs. As soon as he seemed to be finished, he then began venting another frustration cluster.

[ - I get it! I totally get it! They can’t endure being forced to do certain things, so they ended up in a power struggle and this f*ck*d them all up! Besides, if they just allowed Marcus to do whatever, they would be equally f*ck*d up! That guy is just like that - he’s a damn coward who will do whatever he wants and try to profit at every situation, even at the expense of others! He tried to take my goo chamber for himself, for god’s sake! I might not even be here if he had succeeded! I hate that damn b*st*rd!]

- Hon, hon. Calm down. Focus. It’s not the time to get derailed.

Elicia interfered. Jack hadn’t gotten closure in his previous venting. If he where to change his mental block to another one right now, then he wouldn’t solve either. Even if he had a great resistance to anxiety, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t end up being bothered by this in the future. Indeed, a small piece of his unconscious mind would probably be living in that small frustration mental hell for a long time.

*fuuu* Jack sighed.

[- Yeah. In the end, it’s all because of attachment. I’m getting upset because people are suffering because they were too attached to their stuff and ended there. I want to help, but I’m not all powerful. I can’t just make them all submit. Marcus once got to defeat me, and that was thirty years ago. I don’t think he would start something like this without being prepared, and he surely have his fill of max-level people at his side. If I want to keep living a simple life, then I need to detach myself from the anxiety of seeing others suffering.]

Closure. Highly buddhist closure, of course, but, still, a little bit of closure. Even if a certain frustration remained.

- So, what will you do?

[ - I’m going to make sure no one stays in the colony because they don’t have a choice, and then I will be done with it. Whatever happens, I’m not going to interfere. It’s unfortunate, and it is something that bothers me, that they created this hell for themselves. But I’m not the one with the all-powerful McGuffin which will stop suffering in the world.]

Jack looked at the ceiling.

[- In the end, they will have to deal with it themselves. I’m fortunate for never being on their shoes, and that is all!]

- Nice. Now, finish doing your stuff and come with me. We need to make sure the kids grind properly!

[- Ugh!]

Jack had almost been successful on getting out of “grinding babysitting time”, but all of his rambling was useless. Work waited for him.

With a crestfallen expression, he then opened his player interface and sent regular teleportation scrolls to a list of people - the colony’s players, soul-possessing NPCs included. This should guarantee that no one stayed because they didn’t have a choice - or at least that they could flee once things got too ugly to bear and they decided to leave the stubborn ones behind.