Fool – Part 07
As Cecily counted each fact off on her fingers, Siegfried let out a short laugh.
“With all that in mind, you still don’t see it?”
“Huh?”
“Every last one of them is a coward. They’re terrified of a second war.”
Terrified? Cecily still wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
Siegfried frowned. “You’re not very bright, are you?”
“E-Excuse me?!”
“Forcing surgery on the public under the guise of conscription.” Siegfried leaned in so close, Cecily instinctively drew back.
“Wh-What?”
“To write down the death spell marked on each person’s heart, surgeries were done daily, administering only minimal anesthesia and cutting open their chests while they were still alive. Needless to say, those whose chests were opened were sent straight to the battlefield, drugged out of their minds, and forced into Demon Pacts.” His words brushed her ear like a curse, his bulging eyes staring directly into hers. “Hordes of demons shattered national borders, plunging territories into endless chaos.”
Cecily couldn’t move, as though she was caught in a spell. Her head throbbed painfully. The face before her was utterly malevolent.
“In the streets, demons devoured humans, humans slaughtered demons, demons killed each other, and inevitably, humans turned on one another. The lower classes, lacking understanding, misinterpreted Demon Pacts as a curse from the divine—a spontaneous transformation of humans into Inhumans—and they began to burn their neighbors alive. The imperial capital, too, descended into chaos. There were facilities set up for this, you see—experimental sites for Demon Pacts. In the early days of the research, there were often demons going on a rampage. Even those in power found themselves barely safe, as every location became a battlefield. There were countless riots, and when I say countless, I mean it literally. No one knew when or who would become a demon next. By the end of the war, it was unclear which demons belonged to which nation. Victory was measured by the number of survivors. It was a dark age, when the very fate of the continent hung in the balance.”
Siegfried’s pupils shrank to mere points. He was wearing a joyful smile. What did he find amusing?
“This all happened a mere forty-four years ago. It’s still fresh in everyone’s memory. Who would want a war like that again?”
Cecily snapped out of her daze and shoved Siegfried away. He stepped back with little resistance. Realizing she’d been swept up in his words, Cecily clenched her teeth.
“You’re wasting your time trying to intimidate me. What you’re describing is just the worst-case scenario. Sure, a massive war like the Valbanill War is unlikely to happen again. That’s why Demon Pacts are banned under continental law. But a war between humans, without using Demon Pacts, could still break out.”
A sense of déjà vu crept into her mind. This situation reminded her of the time she’d walked with Luke and learned a disturbing truth.
“If it’s banned, then why are there still incidents involving Demon Pacts?”
A disturbing truth? A chill ran down Cecily’s spine, and she swallowed.
Siegfried was smiling. “Exactly. I know, and the Empire knows, about the Demon Pacts.”
“And they should be prosecuted for violating continental law.”
“Do you understand the term deterrent?”
“Deter… what?”
“Allow me to simplify it for a dim woman like you: keeping each other in check through equal power.”
Keeping each other in check through equal power.
Siegfried suggested that the Empire could use Demon Pacts. To possess equal power that would act as a deterrent could only mean one thing.
“The Militant Nation too?” Cecily asked, aghast. “The Crowd Powers?”
“Even the so-called Continental Law Commission.”
Every influential organization wielded Demon Pacts as a deterrent.
Forgetting her headache, the hangover, and the intense heat, Cecily came to a realization.
“Continental Law is just a front for the public—a façade for those who know history. Knowledge of Demon Pacts has been passed down still, and when war erupts, Demon Pacts will absolutely be used as a military force. If not, they’ll be the first to fall.”
This continent was rotten to the core.
“Do you get it now? Demon Pacts are not going anywhere. If they did, nations would crumble. All countries tacitly agree to keep it as a deterrent. Unless something drastic happens, no one will come after me. To do so would be to open the door to war.”
Cecily found herself frozen in place. Everything she had believed in, everything she thought was common sense, crumbled before her eyes.
Because of this man, countless citizens had suffered. Yet no fair, public authority existed on the continent to bring him to justice. He was unrestrained. She knew this, yet was powerless against it. She felt crushingly small and helpless against the corruption rotting the continent.
“Then again, I can’t say for certain that war won’t break out again,” he added.
Cecily’s eyes widened. “What did you just say?”
“The continent hangs on a precarious balance. A single spark could ignite another war, one that might even bring back Demon Pacts.”
Captain Hannibal Quasar’s constant warnings echoed in Cecily’s mind. How the continent was teetering on a knife’s edge.
“There’s no telling how things might go. Demon Pacts act as a deterrent, but nothing guarantees they won’t actually be used. One nation might just strike first.”
“So then, why would you use them?!”
“I’ll level with you. I don’t care if war breaks out.”
For the first time in her life, Cecily thought that maybe, just maybe, the world would be better off with a person dead. She’d always believed that the notion that someone deserved to die was nothing but an arrogant excuse on the aggressor’s part. That killing was never justified.
Siegfried’s twisted smile deepened. “I wish the entire world burned down, and I was the only one left standing.”
No one deserved to die. But this man might be an exception.
“Enough wasting time.” Taking Cecily’s silence as the end of the conversation, Siegfried turned his back to her. “Stop standing around, woman, and show me the way.” His tone was filled with arrogance. “Take me to the blacksmith’s place.”
“Cecily? Cecily! P-Please wait! Just a moment. I’ll bring Luke right away. I’ll make sure he apologizes. I’ll force him down on his knees if I have to!”
The moment Lisa saw Cecily’s face while gathering the laundry in the yard, she rushed off to the forge, calling the name of her master. Clearly, Cecily had caused her some worry.
“Come on, Luke! Get out here and apologize to Cecily!”
Not long after, Lisa emerged from the smithy, dragging out a soot-stained young man wearing a disgruntled frown. Cecily felt a slight tension build within her.
“Not exactly charming.”
Don’t overthink it, she reminded herself. That was just banter. Nothing deeper. No reason to let it bother me.
Luke’s gaze met hers, but just before she could speak, his right eye shifted ever so slightly to the side. A very small movement, but enough to silence her. His eye settled on the figure standing just behind her.
“What are you doing here?”
“Hey there. I haven’t seen you since the last summit,” Siegfried said with a casual wave.
Luke’s right eye narrowed in suspicion, and Lisa stared in wide-eyed surprise.
“Evadne?”
Strangely, Evadne gave Lisa a small bow.
“What’s going on here, Cecily Campbell?”
“H-He asked me to bring him here,” she stammered.
Was she imagining it, or did Luke’s voice sound colder than usual?
Under the group’s watchful eyes, Siegfried boldly surveyed the surroundings. The Seventh District, the largest area in the city, consisted mostly of farmland, dotted with only a few buildings, allowing the wind to flow freely. The breeze here was slightly cooler and stronger than in the city. Smiling in satisfaction, he gazed up above the Ashen Woods. The sky was split in shades of gray and blue.
“So, this is the city built by the first Housman,” he murmured wistfully. The emotion behind his words caught everyone off guard.
Then, Siegfried stepped forward. Right in front of Lisa.
“Huh?”
As she stumbled back in surprise, Siegfried’s lips curled into a nasty grin.
“You must be the blacksmith’s pet demon.”
“Y-Yes?”
Siegfried shifted his gaze to Luke. Luke’s right eye flared with anger at the word “pet,” but the man in black was unfazed.
“This demon has some of Valbanill’s flesh or blood, doesn’t she?”
Lisa couldn’t believe her ears for a second. The wind rushed past her feet.
“Don’t just stand there. This kid’s body is made up of Aetheria, your girlfriend’s flesh, and Valbanill’s blood. Am I wrong?”
Cecily turned to Luke. He had gone pale as a sheet.
“L-Luke?” Lisa called shakily. “I-Is that true?”
Luke shuddered, but he didn’t respond. He simply fixed his right eye on Siegfried, and gradually, his gaze filled with rage. With clear hostility.
“How did you know?”
“Simple. The dead Inhuman was my pet, you see. Due to negligence on our side, it escaped.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“Do you really think it just happened to wander into this city and come into contact with that brat?”
“…”
“It followed Valbanill’s scent and ended up here. It then tracked it straight to your demon.”
Cecily listened to the exchange between Luke and Siegfried in a daze. Her mind was utterly blank.
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