The Systemic Lands
Chapter 649: Day 5,237 (2) – Doctor Katz Sidelined

Samantha left my office after having painted a picture of what was happening. The entire government was being reorganized heavily. Clarissa was making sweeping changes to how things were run. People were being promoted and other people were disappearing. I wasn’t exactly sure what turmoil was going on, but that was her problem to sort out.

While I could get involved and find out what was happening, as long as it all kept functioning then I would be content. I did ask for my tax receipts since I planned to look over them in much greater detail, since I would start getting them once more.

The argument of emergency spending and reconstruction could only go on for so long. I had left a letter to Clarissa indicating as much, that by day 5,250 I expected my share of the tax revenue to begin flowing towards me once more.

There was a knock on my office door. “Come in,” I called out and Doctor Katz entered.

“Emperor Michael,” he said stiffly.

“Sit. You must have been busy?” I asked. He let out a sigh and looked to the side. That didn’t sound good.

“I am stepping back to focus on healing,” he said. I nodded slowly at that.

“Weren’t you doing that before?” I asked.

“Including my research duties and oversight on Jacob. Instead, he will be handling research going forward,” Doctor Katz replied. I frowned at this change.

“Did he force you out?” I asked and Doctor Katz shook his head.

“It was my choice. I am just not up for everything, I would rather focus on healing,” he said and hung his head.

“What brought this on? I know you haven’t been traveling with me for a bit, but I respected your choice to heal the Avatar,” I replied.

“It isn’t just that. I am tired, Michael, very tired,” he said. Another person was leaving me behind. It made me wonder how long until Michelle took a step back into retirement.

“Alright, and how is your food project going?” I asked. He winced at the question. “What is the problem there?”

“I haven’t been following up,” he said and looked to the side, not wanting to meet my eyes. That was something he had pushed for, for a long time. To be stepping back now was aggravating. The number of competent people that were around was less than ever.

“So that’s it?” I asked. “You are just going to focus on healing?” My tone was slightly hostile since I was annoyed by this decision. Everyone thinks they can just retire after all the investment put into them.

“Yes. It is less complicated that way,” Doctor Katz said with a touch of hesitation.

“And how is the Avatar coming along?” I asked.

“Slowly. A couple hundred more days to completely fix her,” he replied.

“That long?” I asked.

“To do it properly, yes,” he replied. “Is there anything else?” I wave him away and he quickly left. That had been an incredibly depressing meeting. My team that I had been with for so long was falling apart. No one had the mental fortitude to keep up with me. Well Michelle might, but summoning just couldn’t keep up.

I poured myself a glass of fruit flavored water and thought about how lonely it was at the top. I had come so far, and was in charge, but there was no one to share it with. After all this time and it was just me. I wanted to count Clarissa, but she had her own pyramid of power she had climbed up on. So while we saw each other, we each had our own burdens to bare.

It was kind of funny. As a kid, one would always dream about being an Emperor or in charge in some way. The reality was much more boring and depressing I was finding out. At least at the lower rungs there were people you could talk with about the struggles faced and the uselessness of the hire ups.

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Not even going out into Purgatory incognito was tempting in the slightest. I was too popular. That was the problem with my propaganda. I was practically deified now, a saint against the darkness of the Systemic Lands. A prophet heralding a new age.

In some ways it was easier to have the battles for survival against small groups. Worrying about how to curb stomp whatever Karens or idiots had decided to do something. Now, there were just problems without easy solutions. Everything was more complicated, and it wasn’t from creating bureaucratic nonsense either.

The threats, the social complexities, and even my mindset was weighed down. It was tempting to just leave it all behind and do my own thing. But then I wouldn’t be able to counter the sphere, and some Divine Empress look a like would rise up.

“If only you hadn’t been such an evil uncompromising cunt,” I muttered to myself and toasted the memory of the Divine Empress. Other people probably thought the same way about me. But there was just a small part of me that wondered what we could have accomplished togeather. Her tenacity and willingness to throw down, my ranged attacks in support.

We would have made a potent team. Out of all the enemies I had faced, she was still the one I respected and feared the most. Getting people to handle front line combat was not something that could be taught. Instead she had that willingness, in her bones.

I found myself often thinking of her and her combat style. It had serious flaws, but I still respected it. I looked up at the gray ceiling in my office and my mind wandered to her kid, Qi Ji Long and what he could be doing right now. He had gone off the radar doing his own thing, but that was fine in my opinion.

Maybe one day we would team up. Now that would be great. The son of the Divine Empress, teaming up with me. He would have to get meta-points like his mother to have any chance of catching up with me, but he was supposedly favored by the System.

If the Avatar ever became mentally aware again, then I would have to ask her about the kid. Perhaps he would get some unique insight, meta-point, or something and save the day at the last moment with the next sphere that showed up. That would be interesting, but that wasn’t the type of world this place was. Happy endings were few and far between.

There only existed unhappy endings for so many people. I tried my best, but even that wasn’t enough it felt like.

I got up. Sitting and moping was bad for my mindset. My mental health was the most damaged part of me. I suspected that the attacks I had suffered had damaged my mindset. It seemed odd that one could lose their soul without any long term mental consequences. I could easily see depression being a hidden side effect of curse damage.

Putting on casual clothes, I had my guards do the same before setting out into the city. Even if I didn’t plan to talk to anyone or get involved in any drama, it was important to be around people and not cooped up all day.

As I left the inner city, I meandered about looking at the various shops and seeing people go about their jobs. Things weren’t upbeat, but people didn’t seem depressed either. I guess that was the best I could expect. I heard something that triggered my interest.

Eventually I found myself stopping as a man played the violin on the side of the street and was looking for donations. I stopped nearby and listened in. The music soothed my soul slightly. Music had not been common for a long time. It was good to see progress being made in this area.

The melody was slightly haunting, but fast paced. I had no talent to recognize what was being played but was content to just listen. The song came to an end and there was some scattered applause from the people listening and then he started another song. I stood there listening in as the light source slowly descended and the shadows grew exceptionally long.

The light source was soon casting a shadow from the edge of the pit that reached us. It would be curfew soon. The man finished playing his most recent song. I had been listening for quite a while. There was a round of applause. “That’s all for today folks,” the musician said.

“I enjoyed that. Thank you,” I told the man and held out a level 7 point crystal. That was worth 756,000 points. An insane amount, when a person could live off 20 points a day. The man looked at the crystal and smiled at me. He probably thought it was a level 4 point crystal or something.

“Well you and your companions listened a long time. I am glad you enjoyed it,” he said.

“I did. You have been doing this for a while?” I asked.

“After my introduction to this place, I managed to save up enough to get this instrument. Now I play to make a living. Used to be a music teacher before. What about you?” he asked me.

“I fight for a living. Now that would be something, get enough stats and play background battle music,” I joked. The man shook his head.

“That would be way too dangerous. Maybe one day I will learn how to make music with skills or something, but that is out of my reach. I am just glad I was able to bring you some happiness,” he said. I gave him a nod and then left.

I didn’t need to know his name or anything else. There were people out there doing their own thing. They depended on the stability I brought to this place in order to make a living. I could only imagine his face once he found out how many points that crystal was worth. It would blow his mind most likely.

That kind of small story was what was important. Anyone could tear things down, but one thing the Divine Empress didn’t have was music. She had a screaming throne, which was a type of music, but not one of value in my opinion. Protecting these little things was important.

Hopefully he wouldn’t give up on playing music. A shame none of my personal guards had a talent in that direction that I knew of. Perhaps I should ask or encourage it. But that seemed counterproductive, since they needed to focus on combat, not on music.