The life of a mortal within Darksol was nothing like what was to be expected. One would have expected the living conditions of those inside the Evil Empire to be deplorable, but the exact opposite was true. While there was a blade hanging over everyone’s heads, this blade was purely imaginary but existed due to the misconstrued words of the Dark Emperor.

“Everyone has a purpose in Darksol.”

These few words were wildly misinterpreted in various ways.

“You will serve Darksol in Life or in Death/ Undeath!”

“You will contribute to this nation, or else!”

These were but two of the ways that the words of Kain had been misunderstood. The truth of his words was quite different as the meaning behind them was more beneficial to the populace than harmful. Darksol was a place where everyone was worth something, and even those with disabilities were given something to do. Unlike other nations, simply being handicapped was not a death sentence or cause for being neglected, and while the state was very tough on crime it did give people chances to change themselves for the better.

Of course, if criminals didn't they would quickly wish that they had.

With the aid of several advancements in the fields of science and magic, Darksol had the highest standard of living in regard to any other Europan nation. The roads were always cleared of snow and ice in the winter, there was indoor plumbing and some simple air conditioning and there was even free public education. The fact that Disease Magic was allowed to be researched and explored resulted in the life expectancy of the citizens rocketing up, along with the rate at which infants would survive long enough to become true children.

Darksol was a nice place to live, a true shining nation, despite the inky walls that protected each settlement and scores of undead that walked about with impunity. No one had to worry about dying of hunger as there was more than enough food to go around. No one had to worry about unemployment as there were positions open for even those who were handicapped. No one had to worry about their children while they were at work as those below a certain age were rounded up and given mandatory education.

The houses were better than anywhere else, the food was better than anywhere else, the income was better than everywhere else. What would anyone need to truly want for?

…

Mr. Smith was in his shop, hammering away at a piece that he had spent a great effort in making. As Iron was widely available and very cheap, Mr. Smith could afford to make mistakes, but his pride would not permit him to deal in substandard equipment. He had to finish his newest piece and make it in the best possible condition. He had learned how to make steel only recently, and now was in the process of making a piece for the town guard.

It was a simple spear, but for a guardsman’s spear to be made of steel was something that would have been unheard of anywhere else. He was honestly surprised that the Emperor had given this information away so freely, rather than keep it for his own private smiths. Then again, he had said that it would benefit his nation more if information was widely accessible. Still, learning how to smelt steel and work it was a labor and a half.

As the hammer fell one last time, Mr. Smith passed the piece over to his son, who was tasked with finishing the spear himself. Mr. Smith had made so many speartips over the past few weeks that he had it down to pat, now he merely needed to teach his sons about the process.

He rose from his seat and went over to the large rectangular box that stood in the corner of his forge and removed a damp towel from within. The towel had been chilled due to the magic that kept the box’s interior at a low temperature and after wiping himself with the now dirty cloth he grabbed a pitcher of cold water and poured himself a cup of it.

In no other nation could one have such luxuries, and in no other nation would they be so widely available. Why, just the other day he had seen the Shoemaker household get a newer version of the “Refrigerator’.

“If only my father could see me now. To be able to afford niceties that not even the Pope could have, I am truly blessed.”

“Pops!” the youngest of the household popped his head in and addressed his father, “The Carpenters just got the newest AC unit!”

Mr. Smith chuckled and realized just how spoiled he and his family had become.

“To think that one day my line would be more interested in the trappings of wealth than the actual making of it. Well, things are the opposite of what they said back in Teutonia, The Dark Empire is brighter than even the Vatican City inside Ititlis!”

It was undoubtedly true, there was no way his father or brother would have dreamed of living a life like this, with the threat of destruction no longer hanging overhead and luxuries befitting of royalty made widely accessible. Even when one of his sons was horrifically scarred in an accident, a simple transaction of a few coins and bills was enough to get his face and eye back. Such a procedure would have been reserved for the richest of the rich, but here you could lose an arm and get a new and perhaps one for a trifling amount.

Doctors and Mages worked hand in hand to bring life to those who dwelled in a land of death, and the fact that they were treated like people rather than slaves or second-class citizens was certainly a step above what was done elsewhere. He had been terrified when Darksol occupied Francus, but now he looked back on his past self with ridicule. Of course, how could he have possibly known that the Dark, Evil, Abominable King was anything but? He was prospering, and so was his family.

If he had one gripe about living in Darksol it was the simple fact that he couldn’t make money from selling weapons to the Undead.

“If only they weren’t so well armed and armored… Well, at least us human citizens are allowed to own weapons, that is definitely a step up from having us all at the mercy of brigands and robber barons.”

Yes, Darksol was his new home. Darksol was the Black Sun that shone brighter than the real thing. Mr. Smith’s perspective was shared by almost all in Darksol, for nowhere else in Europa could you live like a King while being one of the masses. Through its destruction, Francus had been reborn with new life and new prosperity, and no one could deny that the long winter had ended and the spring had begun.