A decree was sent ringing throughout the Ruthobold Kingdom.

"All noble families have been stripped of their titles, and must evacuate the premises of their homes immediately. Failure to comply will result in forceful expulsion from ones home. By the order of the King of the Ruthobold Kingdom, Kyle Ruthobold."

To the peasantry, this was barely cause for concern.

While some of them who knew better feared the repercussions of such drastic measures, the majority of the peasants were either too ignorant to understand the long term effect of such a shift, or too removed from noble society for it to effect them significantly.

Ethan, however, was filled with great concern.

While it was true that the nobles had been a thorn in his side as the leader of the smithing guild, removing them completely would cause a topple in the current structure.

Uncertainty was to follow.

Was he safe? Would his position be ripped from him as well?

Or would he be able to use this to his advantage, knowing now that the noble smiths no longer stood as his competition?

"That kid's gone and done something crazy.... I would have never guessed that he would do something like this...."

It was common knowledge at this point that the King had died.

Kyle made no effort to hide the fact that he was the one who killed the King.

As a matter of fact, quite the opposite.

Kyle had sent out another decree previously informing all citizens of the country of his takeover.

"To the dear citizens of the Ruthobold Kingdom.

Fear not.

The leader of this Kingdom was a corrupted man, who cared nothing about his people, and only for his own gains.

I am certain that many of you have suffered under his tyrannical rule.

But I tell you, fear not.

I have killed this fool with my own two hands, in the name of justice.

I, the hero of the Kingdom, Kyle Ruthobold, will never cease to pursue my own justice as I lead this country.

I ask of all people of the country to trust in me, and to allow me to serve you as best I can as your new leader.

Fear not.

An age of rebirth is coming for the Kingdom. And you- the peasantry- are at the center of it."

In response to this decree, many citizens were filled with concern.

However, this concern was soon overwritten.

There are two types of people. Leaders and followers.

Leaders will spend their lives trying to guide others- trying to show others the way, whether for good or for bad.

Some leaders will plunge headfirst into a pit of lava, and their followers will blindly follow them. Others will lead their people to glory.

Others yet will deceive their followers into believing they have been led to glory, when in reality they are nothing more than braindead pawns who don't see the full picture.

Followers will spend their lives trying to find someone worthy of following.

Many people do not want to bear the task of leadership. They would rather follow someone charismatic. Someone who has the right skillset.

Sometimes, these followers are prudent in who they follow, and make the right decisions.

This can lead to their own successes.

Other times, they are unsure who to follow, or they don't question those they follow.

And other times still, there is no other option but one person to follow.

Followers will never be able to live with themselves if they do not have a figure at their head.

If they do not, they are merely mindlessly wandering about with no purpose- no goal.

And often, this desolation of not having someone to follow can be tormenting.

So, they will cling to whatever figure appears, not questioning their beliefs and rejoicing in the fact that they once more have somebody to follow.

The people of the Ruthobold Kingdom were worried.

They knew of the murder of the Emperor in their lands.

They knew it was Kyle Ruthobold who performed this murder.

They knew that the Kingdom was likely set on a path to war.

But they also knew that there was nobody else to follow.

Rebellion would do nothing.

If they were to rebel, the Empire would send thousands of troops into the Kingdom, killing everyone off while they were in a disunited state.

Instead, they should focus on uniting- for their own sakes.

And so, rather than badmouthing the hero of the Kingdom, they instead clung to him.

As their savior.

As the one who would shovel the heavy burden of leadership.

"You are the one who got us into this mess. Now show us that you can get us out of it."

"We'll put our trust in you, hero. Don't betray that."

"It was the hero who did this. Even if it may seem bad, it must have been for a just cause."

"The hero would never do anything wrong. Clearly, he sees something greater than we do."

And so, the people united themselves and accepted their new King without question.

"Politics are something for those above us. We need to just lay low and listen to whoever is in charge."

"If we attract too much attention, it will only cause trouble. Fighting against those with power is a lost cause."

It was this sheep's mentality which allowed for a peaceful taking of the throne by Kyle Ruthobold.

His actions were nothing less than scandalous.

Even more scandalous was his blatant disregard to covering them up.

He allowed everyone to know exactly what was going on. He cared not about political repercussions.

However, the nobles would not take this lying down.

The peasants accepted such a drastic change because it did not effect them directly.

However, the nobles were not so peaceful.

Some evacuated their homes quickly, afraid of the hero.

"We will travel to our summer home in the country side, and reside there for now. I'm sure we can figure something out, but for now we must escape."

Others refused the decree, and clung to their homes and possessions.

"Does this hero understand anything!?!?! How can he simply evict us from our homes!!?? This is injustice!!!! Evil!!!! He is nothing more than an antihero!!! Just as that man said!!!"

"This Kingdom is on a path to ruin at this rate! Without nobles, society will cease to function!!"

"If he thinks he can replace us with a group of whores, then he'll soon regret it when the entire country collapses from the inside! Removing nobles from their positions is the same as reverting to barbarian savagery!"

That day, a number of soldiers were sent into the homes of nobles where they arrested anyone who refused to leave their homes.

"Stop this!!! You are nothing more than a lowly guard!!! You have no right-"

"I do have the right. I have the orders of the hero and King of this country. Or do you mean to tell me that his word means nothing?"

"Why you!!! I will have you executed once I-"

"If you keep this up, I will be the one executing you. Now come along peacefully."

"Grr!!!"

A number of families were arrested.

Others, who were afraid of the hero yet were not as rich as the other nobles and had no summer homes to escape to, instead gave up their noble lifestyles and blended in with the civilians in the city for the first time in their lives.

'These filthy peasants... they're all around me.... I cannot stand this stench! And their clothes are all covered in dirt! None of them are even bothering to take up good posture, and their speech is repulsive! They approach each other so causally and say things without any concern for their words! It's preposterous!'

'Why are the people around me giving me a nasty glare!? How dare they!! I am wearing the apparel of a nobleman, so they should be bowing their heads as I walk through these streets, but why are they giving me such ugly glares!? I should show them their place!'

A few noblemen made attempts to beat peasants into submission after they were given dirty looks.

However, with no guards to support their actions, this ended badly.

"Why you!! How dare you punch my beautiful face!! I will have you executed!! Guard!! Arrest this man!! I am a noble of the rank of Count!!"

"Not anymore you won't, you arrogant shit. You think you can walk around these streets and expect us to bow before you? Hey guard, what do you think?", the man who slugged the former noble asked.

"Kings orders are that rankings don't exist anymore. I don't have any responsibility to stick up for you, and doing so would be direct disobedience of the King. Figure it out yourself, pompadour.", the guard chuckled.

"P-pompadour!?! Are you speaking to me!?!?! How dare you!!!!"

Smash!

The man's fist burrowed into the noble's jaw, knocking him unconscious.

Many people who watched the display clapped at the scene of a noble who yelled at a young girl, calling her filthy and telling her to bow before him and lick his shoes- only for a burly man to walk up and put that man back in his place.

Such a scene would have been unthinkable just a few days ago.

The young girl would have been forced to lick the man's shoes.

The people around would have been forced to quietly watch, and the guards would be obligated to defend the nobleman if anyone interfered.

But no longer.

With Kyle Ruthobold as the new King, a number of similar scenes repeated themselves in cities all around the Kingdom.

And when the people saw that these nobles no longer held power over others, and that they were no longer bound by the chains of society, they rejoiced.

"The hero.... he truly has done something just for this Kingdom...."

"I was worried about the war with the Empire.... and the assassination of the King, but look at this! Those nobles who once stepped on us can't do so anymore!"

"He truly is a beacon of justice!!!"

"Banzai!!! Kyle Ruthobold, you are the greatest King in the history of this Kingdom!!!!!"

"Hooray for the hero!!!!"

"Hooray for the new King!!!!!"

People all around the country celebrated under the belief that they were entering a new era.

An era where people would not be judged based on their position, but on their hearts.

An era where one could freely fight injustice, not bound by the chains of society.

Kyle received report after report of such events, and found himself smiling.

"This is great. I feel like we've made a step forward."

Looking around the throne room, he saw his seven mothers sitting and chatting idly.

"Mothers, I think it's time we get down to business. After all, I can't rule this country on my own."

Irene smiled maternally at him.

"Of course, Kyle. We'll do everything we can to help."

----

Trevor woke up the next morning, after Samantha whispered something into his ears.

"The deal didn't go through. Look's like were going to have to demote you."

"WHAT!?! HOW COULD IT HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH!?! I worked day and night to appease the client, and not once did they ever show any sign of backing out!!!"

Trevor jogged his head up, and as he came to his senses, noticed that it was exceptionally close to Samantha's.

"Good morning, Mr. Businessman.", she said with an angelic smile, despite taking the form of a demon.

Trevor found himself somewhat stunned for a moment, before backing up.

"Ahem.... that was a horrible thing for you to do, woman. You gave me a real scare, you know. You have this sick obsession of bringing up my greatest fears."

"Failure?"

"Are you sure that you can't read my mind?"

"Haha...."

"Would you two stop flirting this early in the morning? You're too loud....", Ashley croaked while opening one eye.

"We were doing nothing of the sort.", Trevor firmly responded.

"Yeah yeah and I wasn't sleeping peacefully. I was just waiting for you guys to scream so that I could get up.", Ashley replied sarcastically.

As she slowly lifted her head, Garett too let out a light laugh as he got up.

"Why is it that your eyes always have dark bags under them, even when you get a full nights rest?", Trevor asked curiously.

"Why is it that you have to wear glasses? Were you born that way? Probably not. Over time your eyes deteriorated. Same for me. The lines under my eyes formed and won't ever go away."

"I see...."

"Anyways.... let's get up for the day.", Samantha said, taking the conversation elsewhere. "What do you have planned, Theo?"

"We need to call a meeting among the prominent figures who are here. Gary, will you call together Berith, Arlo, the birdmen, Claire, Lance, Melody, Charlotte, and Pierre?"

"Got it.", Garett replied while fiddling with the screen and giving a conference call to all of the listed people.

"Hey, everyone, meet in the throne room 30 minutes from now. We have orders for everyone."

[Yes, your excellency!], the slaves replied simultaneously.

[Got it.], Claire replied.

As such, the antiheroes got themselves ready for the day and then headed to the throne room.

It only took them 10 minutes to arrive, but everyone else seemed to have arrived before them.

Sitting in her own seat while doing more paperwork was the Determined, and standing in rows on each side were the people who had been called.

They looked like soldiers lined up, not even daring to breathe or move a muscle lest they get called out.

The four walked down the aisle gracefully, taking their seats before the slaves. Currently, the thrones were not around the desk, but rather positioned with 2 on each side of it facing forward. Claire sat on her own throne with the round table in front of her as she worked, in the center of the four.

"My loyal slaves.... it delights me to see your faces, and how well you have all been holding up. I suppose we should begin with congratulations for those who have done well. First and foremost, I would like to congratulate two who are not present- Coran and Oraguth. They have followed our orders and performed missions filled with risk, but ended in success, thus allowing us to gain footholds in the Empire for information, both inside the palace of the Emperor, and in a small town near the wall. I encourage you all to strive to become like them. As much as I would like to reward them for their efforts, Coran has already received his reward- that is, we have allowed him to take on a certain slave. As for Oraguth.... we will present him with his own reward as soon as he returns from his mission."

Looking around, Trevor could see that nobody dared to speak.

The four humans seemed to be beaming in the glory of the magnificent forms in front of them. They likely had never before witnessed the rulers of a nation speak from their throne room.

"As for the rest of you.... Yirald, Fergo, Relu, I would also like to congratulate you three. You all have learned quickly and become efficient at your roles here in the Dictatorship. Excellent job. I will grant you three a reward as well, which you all are free to discuss. Step forward."

The three stepped forward anxiously, before kneeling before their masters.

"Your excellency, the only reward I could ask for is that you pardon the other birdmen for their offenses against you and this nation.", Yirald stated.

"Yes. I wish for that as well.", Relu followed.

"Indeed. Please make it so, your excellency.", Fergo agreed.

Trevor nodded.

"Understandable. Erasalis and Tora shall be forgiven for their previous offenses against us. We will take over their village in due time. I believe you all said that they had become mentally traumatized, and gave up on life?"

"That is the case.", Fergo stated.

"Hmm.... I suppose we should do something about them.... I will take that into account soon enough. However, if they were to offend us again, you understand that I would not be able to forgive them so easily."

The three nodded.

"If they were to offend you again, then there is nothing that could be done.", Yirald stated.

Trevor nodded.

"However, for right now, I have other intentions. To begin...."

Trevor held out a hand, closing his eyes.

[Upgrade]

Lance, Melody, Pierre, Charlotte, Fergo, Relu, and Yirald all felt power overflowing within them as Trevor said these words.

"I've determined each and every one of you to be loyal to our cause, and as such I have granted you the same power as the head slaves in this nation. Now, with this power, I intend to send all of you on missions to other parts of the world with two goals- scout these places out, and prepare the way for our invasion and annexation."

"Yes, your excellencies!", the slaves replied in unison.

"Determined. I would like you to go on a mission as well."

"Eh? Me? Again? I'll do my best...."

Claire seemed a bit concerned about her own ability.

"That much should be enough. Have more faith in yourself and your own abilities. I want you to go to the ratmen village in the south."

Claire nodded seriously.

"I will do what I can, and I will help you all to take them over peacefully."

Trevor then looked over to the rest of the slaves.

"Arlo. I wish for you to take the three birdmen and invade the insectoid village. I wonder if Coran, Berith, and Alicia had ancestors from this village originally? I want you to find out, and pave the way for our annexation."

Arlo bowed before Trevor, closing his eyes in submission.

"I will do as you say, your excellency."

"And for you four.... I want you all to head to the snakemen village. As for the risk.... for each and every one of you, with the Determined aside, I cannot say for certain that the risk is low. Even with the power you have just received, I want you all to always remember that there is no such thing as a risk free action. But I want you to do as your gut tells you. Take opportunities when they are presented to you, but minimize risks if possible."

The four humans smiled at receiving a task from their masters.

They could feel the power within them, and were certain that this would be a worthwhile experience.

"Thank you, your excellency!!"

"We're not doing anything worth thanking. All we did was give you a bit of power so that you can prove useful to us.", Garett said with a chuckle. "Don't die, or it will have been a waste."

"We will not do such a thing!!", Charlotte responded gratefully.

"Your excellency, may I ask what you all will be doing during this time?", Melody questioned.

Trevor smiled.

'She really does understand a lot better than most. Always trying to understand things from our perspective. She'll lead the other three well.'

"We plan on creating a highway system to connect the lizardmen and fishmen villages to our capital here. We will remain here for a while to react to each situation as they come to fruit, and at some point we will be setting off on our own mission to the haunted tower that is to the East of the fishmen village. I would like to have a look at these powerful monsters with my own eyes. Ah, speaking of which.... Berith, in our absence you will be in charge of the defense of the city, however for now I wish you to merely remain prepared to head out at any time, as we will have another task for you to perform before we leave."

Berith smiled nightmarishly while bowing her head and closing her eyes.

"I will eliminate any who dare to tread upon the sacred ground which you all have blessed with your presence.", she crackled.

Trevor nodded with a light smile. Looking around to all the people around him, he could only think one thing.

He truly did love all the people here as if they were his family.

No matter how decrepit, how demented, how chaotic they may be, they were all united with one another.

As a true Dictatorship should be.

'I will succeed where the Dictators of earth failed. I will bring about a true utopia.', Trevor thought.

"I see. Thank you for answering my question, your excellency.", Melody replied.

'I am nothing more than a parasite clinging to them.... but I suppose I cannot be clinging to the hosts forever. If I am to feed off them, I must provide them with something as well. So I will do it.... I will act as the carrier of this disease and spread it to people all over the world.... whether it be in the monster realm, or the human realm. Eventually... everyone will become an infected. Heh heh....'

Ashley then stood up and swung out her hand in front of her, ordering the allotment of people with an arrogant grin.

"That's everything, slaves. Get out of here!"

"Yes, your excellency!!"

And with that, the gears were set into motion.

Those infected by the brainwashing of the antiheroes were now to spread it to the very corners of the earth.

Ashley now sat down, slouching back in her seat while giggling to herself creepily.

Claire got up, and with a delightful smile, also took her leave.

"I hope to return here with good news."

"Ah, Determined. Do not stress yourself too much. I have a certain plan for the people of the ratmen, but it will take quite a while to come to full fruition. Just do what you can for now, and listen to your gut."

Claire looked back with a smile.

"I understand!"

Trevor and the others nodded, and Claire made her way out the door while fiddling with the halo above her head.

Garett let out a murmur, only audible enough for the other three to just barely hear.

"One by one.... the cities and peoples of this world will fall to us. Monster and human alike."