Chapter 187: Estate.
Chapter 187: Estate.
[It has already been three months since this strange phenomenon called the System Window has been making waves across the entire globe, with dozens if not tens of dozens of religious groups known and unknown crawling out of the woodworks and taking claim to this supernatural mystery while on the other side of the spectrum, chaos continues to fester with several groups of red and black titled criminals calling themselves P.K.ers, generally between the ages of 16 to 35, said to have been influenced by MMO games and fantasy novels which show the highest popularity within these age groups-]
"I expected them to at least try to live their lives correctly, but a lot of unexpected people have chosen to go the wrong path-"
"This is what happens when you introduce any kind of drastic change to humans wherever they are, and the ones who are behaving out of sorts aren't people who have changed overnight, from what Alpha has told me only a single percent of people have chosen that path after the system was put there, the rest were already in the orange to black categories." Sol turned off the TV and looked down at Ikaris.
"It'll clear up within a year's time, if it doesn't then I'll personally take action, because as far as they're concerned, black tags already don't deserve to live."
"I told her not to keep tabs on that channel, but she doesn't listen." Dina walked through a hall, shaking her head and taking the remote from Sol's hand. "Come on, Ikaris you're supposed to be resting today." She extended her hand.
"I hardly have much to do these days as-is." Ikaris pouted and took Dina's hand, rocking herself to a stand and smiling at Sol when he held and steadied her.
"Do you want to go out for a bit then?" Sol asked, and Dina huffed in surrender when she saw Ikaris's smile widen and felt her excitement shoot through the roof.
"Nowhere dangerous though." Arla walked into the spacious living room next wearing an apron with gravy stains accompanied by Sara who wore casual clothes and the same.
"What dangers can there be for I?" Ikaris chuckled, but still smiled again when Sol extended went on a knee before her and helped her into a pair of shoes.
"Absolutely none, I'll protect you." Sol stood and kissed her forehead, and then patted Arla and Dina's heads and smiled at Sara. "That said we aren't going too far, so you can choose anywhere within this country."
"That's your idea of not too far?" Dina snapped with rounded eyes pointing to him and gesturing around, while Arla and Sara burst out laughing.
"Goodness Dina, I am only pregnant..." Ikaris chuckled at the light mood and looked down at her belly with a softened smile. "Besides the place I want to go is not that far either way, it is within driving distance and I would rather driving than any other means of quick transportation." She looked up at them and they all collectively sighed.
"I shall accompany you then." Sara spoke up casting a veil of shadows around herself and equipping heraid outfit in a matter of seconds, stepping out of the veil with a small kerchief wiping the last gravy stain from her elbow and gesturing to the door. "Please."
"Well, I suppose that settles that, Dina would you like to help me in the kitchen, we were almost finished." Arla poked Dina in her side with a wooden spoon.
"I have classes in a bit remember." Dina snatched the spoon and waved it at her, and the elf sighed and slumped. "Why don't you just go with them, I thought you'd be excited to travel around but you're even more of a housewife than Ikaris is."
"I never truly had the opportunity to enjoy day-to-day living, so I have been relaxing and taking it all in, this peace is lovely; far more than anything I could have ever imagined; we are here together, no enemies, no threats, just living like one family, we dine as one, we share amongst each other, and I quite enjoy you and Master sharing how your days went, I enjoy serving Master and taking care of Ikaris with Sara and you, Dina." Arla chuckled.
"I would never ask for another thing, this is happiness I never knew existed."
"Agreed." Sara added her piece.
"Come with us, Arla." Ikaris gestured as she began walking with Sol."
"But, the food-"
"If Ikaris is coming with us then we'll be eating soon anyways." Sol scoffed causing the goddess he lead by her shoulders to laugh while Sara pushed the doors of the front porch open revealing a large front yard with trimmed grass and gardens to the side, and further forward a farm with horses and caretakers.
A little man approached them from the side and stopped, waving. "Sir, Ladies, will you be back soon?" He asked, holding his hat to his chest and resting his hedge trimmer at his side.
"A few hours at most." Dina answered, stepping out and swinging her bag idly followed by Arla before the doors behind them closed on their own. "The estate is off limits as usual, anyone who intrudes without permission will be fired and charged with trespassing, you know, it's in your contracts." She looked over at him and he nodded and smiled at her.
"Of course Miss Levina, I'm well aware as is everyone else that works here, we would never repay the kindness Mr Vestic has shown us with betrayal he allowed us to live on his lands and we only work minimum hours for an outrageously generous income, rest assured we will keep watch and report on any strangers that even dare come close, you have a lovely day now, and be careful Ms Vestic!" He waved happily at them and went back to work trimming the hedges.
"I like that guy, did I ever mention that I liked him?" Sol looked over his shoulder at the old man. [View]
[Name: Murphy Addams (blue)
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Status: Taken]
"I should give him a raise, he really knows how to sweet-talk people." Sol chuckled when Dina dipped into his back pocket and pulled out bike keys while Sara took out another set of keys from the purse she was carrying and took the driver's seat of a car while Sol opened the door and let Ikaris in and Arla took the front seat.
With the power Sol had it was an easy task getting his wealth back from the many banks that had bought portions of his account after Ikaris had loaded a few trillion into it added from the hundreds of billions ten years prior, of course the very president and other world leaders he had spared were the ones who issued most of the orders federally stretching their powers as thin as possible in every way to appease the one they had collectively dubbed the horseman of death.
For the last three months they had settled on a former Atlas-owned estate overlooking a large pond with a mountainous backdrop that had been an off-book base, with a few modifications here and there they had turned the formerly fortified place into a child-friendly home living in leisure and hiring some of the locals in the surrounding area as well as workers from far who left their previous homes when the riots began and even helping them build houses closer to them forming a small community since the closest town was a little under three miles away at the time.
The land and all its assets had been freely transferred over to Sol's name legally, making him the owner of a fifty mile wide expanse of unused land, and then most of the other Atlas-owned land was given to him as well as Usami as an apology, but since she refused them and chose to stay in her own home they were later transferred to him, and while his own home was built and modified he had several other projects similar to his expanding open-gate community underway.
Within a year's time most of his land would be occupied by tenants, but of course for the sake of his coming child the biased ownership per lot was going to be those within the white, blue and green tagged people, only the most honest and innocent citizens; his only requirement, even if he knew such people usually came with the baggage of annoying neighbours.
By himself he had the wealth of a whole country, except unlike any other country he was free of debt since who dared take taxes from a being who destroyed an organisation that had ruled the world for seven years?
On that same note Order had disbanded all on their own when they caught wind of Usami's freedom as well as others like herself appearing and wiping the more dominant Atlas off the map, killing every active agent and member as far up as their managing heads and owners.
"Milady," Sara called to them pulling out of the driveway while Arla turned up the radio to soft classical music and began humming to the tunes. "Your destination?"
"The new park by the pond, Sara." Ikaris smiled, looking out the window and waving to children passing on the opposite side of the road and then looking up at the great barrier Sol had created restricting anyone who bore Ill intent from entering, invisible to the naked eye and all forms of technology.
"Right away Milady."