Book 3: Chapter 73: Three out of Ten
Zeke stood in his office. Through the window, he observed the tiled path leading up to the main mansion of the estate. Today marked the seventh day since the conference, and therefore it was also the last day of the empires deadline. Everyone who would stay with him, or even in his employ after today, would draw their ire.
When the news broke, almost all of the newest hires quit on the spot. Zeke couldnt even blame them, they had only been with him for weeks and he was just the latest in a long line of employers to them. There was not enough incentive or loyalty to remain with him. He had expected this to happen the moment Otto uttered his declaration.
The next group to leave were those of Maximilian's subordinates who had never come to terms with the change in leadership. Over the past week, a couple of them had left each day. This was a harsher pill to swallow as Zeke had been under the impression that those who had made it through the period of struggle and trials would stay with him for good.
However, he still understood their decision. Many still had loved ones in the empire, and Zeke wouldnt put it past Arkanheim to use them as leverage down the line.
Even so, the trickle of departures increased with each day. As the deadline drew closer, nerves became taught and people who had initially been on the fence began to rethink their choice. This had all come to a head today. It was like a dam had broken, and there was a steady stream of people leaving the mansion all morning.