Aurora Execution

Part 6

The same thing happened again only a month ago when he and Shura surreptitiously negotiated on behalf of the great master with the North American oligarchs. 

 ''Have you read through the agreement yet? Although it seems perfect and flawless, I always feel that something is wrong, just like the ones we talked to in the past, ''Shura said in a somewhat anxious tone.  

''Yes, you are right. ''.With a frown, after scowling and clenching the terms and conditions pages that written in English several times, Camus placed them down and unconsciously straightened the cuffs on his black suit. He then looked out the floor-to-ceiling window at the far-off landscape.  

"according to the subtext, they intend to use the sanctuary as part of their larger plan to make the entire world their property."

"What if we don't take their money? It's hard for me to believe we can't survive without the support of those kinds of people. Camus, aren't you the financial director of the Grand Master? How is Sanctuary's income and expenditure situation right now?"

"I know it's hard to believe but to put it simply; it was literally overstretched."

"Really?how comes?''  

"The Sanctuary receives funding from various sources, including corporate and private donations, the personal commission share of a minimum number of knights who act as hired guns within the permitted range, and its own historical legacy. Then, the United Nations assistance, a tiny portion of the Athens city government, and taxes paid by the so-called global coalition government account for most of the income, regardless of national boundaries, it is a collaborative contribution from all countries. The investment amounts vary per nation, so the right to speak is another. But since that is beside the point right now, let's move on. The issue we are currently facing is that tax revenue has dropped sharply in a short amount of time, and these oligarchs have been visiting one after another since then, giving us little time to breathe. They obviously did it on purpose."  

"But why do Venticans, a landlocked sovereign city-state with a rich historical legacy like the Sanctuary, draw thousands of admirers? Instead, we do not get all of the respect we deserve? This is so unconvincing."  

"It's a complicated tale, but to put it briefly, they are a theocratic religious organization that doesn't have many divisions and the threat of force. They also manage to hold onto some brainwashed individuals in the world, which is advantageous for top-level rule. In contrast, the Sanctuary is heavily armed, and its goddess is now merely regarded as a myth by most people worldwide.As a consequence, the leadership and administration of any country cannot be that fond of the Sanctuary; they see us as the armed militia of a separatist regime that is out of their control; neither the government nor the plutocrats would like warlords even if no one dares to openly oppose us, much like they did with the so-called peace strategy that developed and promoted after World War 2 it's not because they love peace but support diplomacy and other forms of dispute resolution to drastically reduce the military-industrial complex's power and reach, which including us. Besides, they perceive us as a more significant threat. For this reason, I have always found it trite and out of date that the Sanctuary's older generations takes for granted the conventional wisdom that guns can control everything as truth and confines all tactical objectives to fighting the gods while ignoring the plight of humanity."

"These assholes! how could they not aware that there might be a holy war? Do they think that money and power can save them from the hands of a world-destroying god? ''  

"This comes as no surprise at all. The power of social engineering is something you should never underestimate. It is less than a century after World War II, and a lot of people merely want to live in this era of instant gratification that is already lost in the narcotic fantasy of absolute world peace. They may even choose to ignore the immediate threats and gradually stop honoring and treating veterans and martyrs with dignity, Not to mention the holy war, which took place over 200 years ago, has lost all significance for them and is now only an illusion; they would rather have more pie in their current hands. Furthermore, the wealthy and powerful believe they can survive in the event of doomsday since they built the underground bunkers. And there's an insider tale that you might have never heard about. There are Secret societies among humans that make sacrifices to demonic gods in exchange for advantages like extended lifespans and stable rights."