One Hundred-Fourth Chapter: Beyond Change
Alus left and Loki followed him like a shadow.
After seeing him off, Vizaist let out a heavy sigh. Exhaustion washed over him, and he couldn’t bring himself to care about his opened wound.
Looking at it, he felt he had avoided the worst outcome.
That said, so many problems had piled up that they would need to slowly clear them up.
Morwald was naturally one of the biggest, but first, they needed to prevent Noir from dying, as she would be an important witness.
“She will need first aid before she is moved. If I recall, old Miltria could use healing magic...” Vizaist said, but he shrugged his shoulders as he felt bloodlust sent his way. “Ah! I didn’t...”
“Who are you calling old? You should watch what you say,” said Miltria.
“E-Excuse me. I was only thinking that you have a wealth of experience.”
Vizaist’s cheek twitched as he apologized, but seeing Miltria snort and walk over with her cane, he realized that her mood had been appeased for now. Or rather, she hadn’t actually been angry at him to begin with.
At most she was just teasing a rude youngster.
“I am not a healing Magicmaster. I would not place your hopes on me. But I will do what I can.”
Vizaist lowered his head. “Please do.”
Miltria muttered as she walked up to Noir. She glanced over at the passed out Morwald and spat out, “That said, I will be prioritizing this girl. I have no intention of wasting mana on such a despicable scumbag. If that idiot dies, he dies.”
“Th-That would be a problem...” said Vizaist.
“But it is not my problem. If you don’t like it, I won’t help at all. How about that?”
“I-I understand. Please do what you can.”
As long as they stopped Morwald’s bleeding, he could still make it. Vizaist bent his huge body and bowed to the petite old woman.
Miltria gave him a rough nod in reply and looked over Noir.
“This is bad. The tendon needs to be reconnected quickly. This is why darkness users are such a handful.”
“What do you mean?”
“Users of the elements light and darkness have a special constitution. Their mana, and the blood that contains it, travel throughout their entire body, making them resistant to the influence of others’ spells. And healing magic works from the outside of the body to heal wounds.”
Mana slowly flowed out from Miltria’s hand held over Noir’s flank, but like she said, the mana was flowing in slowly.
Sensing that, the old woman furrowed her brow.
“This might not even end up being worthwhile first aid. It’s not just her organs. Her lungs are injured too. Alus seemed to have held back a little, but that disgusting pig messed everything up.”
“The relief unit that Frose and Selva called will arrive soon. Try to make her last until then,” said Vizaist.
“Despite your lumbering size you have a delicate control over your mana, help out a little!” Miltria said.
“I don’t know anything about healing magic...”
“You can at least pour some mana into her. Get on the other side of her from me and prevent the mana from being repulsed. It will at least be a peace of mind for me.”
Vizaist did as she said and held his hand over the opposite side of Noir’s body.
Bodies typically rejected different mana from entering the body, but since Noir had an affinity for darkness, that rejection was especially intense. As Miltria had said, it was extremely difficult to adjust the amount of mana required to soothe the repulsion of the mana poured into the body.
Yet Miltria was managing even while borrowing Vizaist’s power. As someone who excelled at mana control, it might even be a result of her research.
“Phew, that clears up her respiratory tract. But I am worn out. I don’t have any energy left for that pig.”
“No, that’s enough. It looks like we’ll make it,” Vizaist said with relief.
An elite team of healing Magicmasters that Frose and Selva had arranged ran over. There were a total of five of them, and among them were some skilled enough to work with Lettie’s unit.
It was fortunate that the Womruina and Fable families had made preparations in case there were any accidents in the Tenbram.
They changed places with Miltria and set up a tent for emergency aid, promptly taking matters into their own hands. One of them was even casting some light healing magic on Vizaist’s stomach, whose head was filled with thoughts of how to handle things afterwards.
“My subordinates have finally arrived too. We will handle reporting to Berwick and cleaning up matters here. In exchange, can you handle the political aspect, Frose?”
“I understand,” said Frose. “Besides, Fable was part of this Tenbram, so we should be the ones to handle it. I will see to it that the nobles that came to spectate won’t do anything unnecessary, let alone leak any secrets.”
Naturally, since it was an incident that happened within Alpha, they would eventually cooperate with security forces to bring the situation under control.
Once Morwald wakes up, there are plenty of things that will need to be investigated... thought Vizaist.
Vizaist’s unit might be skilled at covering things up, but it would be brutal work to deal with so many corpses and so much blood.
He glanced over to Noir who could finally breathe properly and frowned.
Still, this girl... To think that she is related to the Magicmaster training program that was supposed to have been ended. The corrupt ways of the previous generation are haunting us even now.
As a wind user and skilled intelligence agent, Vizaist had heard Alus and Loki’s discussion.
Besides, aside from a very few people, relief measures were taken for those who were part of the program. Morwald might have done something on his end regarding that.
But it wasn’t all bad.
If everything came to light, Morwald would be disgraced, which would make the noble faction still embedded into the military lose their core and cause the faction to completely collapse.
“We will first be investigating the Magicmaster training program,” Vizaist ordered as if talking to himself, but it reached the ears of all his present subordinates.
He then looked over in the direction of Alus, who was practically like his son, with a worried expression.
◇◇◇
A week passed.
Awakening from her slumber, she felt like she’d been submerged in mud. She could faintly feel light hitting her closed eyelids. Her eyelids felt strangely heavy, like they were stuck to her skin.
When she finally managed to open her eyes, a strong light flooded in. The painful stimulation shook her brain awake as well.
She could finally focus her eyes and the white walls came into view. Even though she’d just woken up, her body felt exhausted and heavy.
“So you’re finally awake.”
Heavy words beat at her eardrums, and the girl struggled to turn her focus to the figure. It felt like she was on her back, but her head seemed to be fixed in place and she couldn’t move it. She had an IV needle in her arm, and a mouthpiece in her mouth. It was like she wasn’t allowed to do anything but breathe.
“How’s your consciousness? Do you remember what you were doing?” the voice asked to confirm if she wasn’t confused or having any lapse in her memory.
Noir could only blink her eyes at the middle-aged man’s words. She then looked as far down as she could. Based on the thick clothing she could see, she was lying on top of a bed, wearing a straitjacket.
“Noir Valis Oud. You are the lone daughter of the Oud family, are you not?”
That was indeed her name. But it didn’t really hit home until the man repeated it. To her, a name was just an identifier to differentiate between individuals. Yet for some reason, the Oud name made her heart flutter.
It was a family name. So naturally, it meant that she must have parents as well. That was all, but she felt a pain in her heart.
After enduring the pain for a while, she looked up at the white ceiling.
Noir no longer had any will to resist her situation. As she went over her latest memory, she recalled the intense pain and frowned.
Her battle with Alus was supposed to be a sweet moment, but it felt so distant now.
She sensed the man questioning standing up and approaching her bed. His massive frame entered her field of view, casting a shadow on her.
It was the man who had escaped her in the mansion’s garden.
“It must be hard to speak like that,” he said and removed the board that was keeping her head fixed.
He then skillfully put a finger in her mouth and pulled out the mouthpiece.
“Vizaist Socalent...”
Vizaist showed no reaction to her voice, instead she returned to his previous position and sat back down.
Noir was now able to move her head, but she was still staring up at the ceiling. That might just be because she didn’t have the strength to move her neck, but Vizaist had no way of knowing for sure.
“To be honest, I’m surprised you survived with those injuries,” Noir said, but Vizaist replied with a faint smile.
“Being sturdy is my only merit. Now then...”
“What about His Excellency...” Noir asked, interrupting Vizaist, asking about Morwald.
Vizaist had more or less expected that. It was all but clear that the girl’s abnormal mental state and behavior was a result of the foundation of her identity being a twisted form of loyalty to Morwald.
Although he’d been interrupted, Vizaist spoke without hesitation.
“You’ve been asleep for a long time. Sorry, but once your life was no longer in danger, the treatment was stopped. If you struggle you’re just going to hurt yourself. But don’t worry, if you answer my questions, I promise the treatment will continue.”
Noir said, “That doesn’t matter. Is His Excellency being treated like me?”
“Yes, he’s in the room next to yours,” answered Vizaist.
“I see. And he told you?”
“Yes, he confessed everything.”
Morwald had run rampant, leading private forces in an effort not only to kill Alus but also to silence Vizaist and Frose. An extremely thorough investigation had been launched into him.
As a result, evidence proving his work behind the scenes, private misappropriation of taxes, and even his involvement in illegal drug refining had been found. There were so many crimes it was hard to count.
Naturally, his hidden torture chamber had been discovered as well. Numerous bloodstains painted the walls and floor black, as if evidence of his many sins and dark habits. That alone was enough of a reason to arrest Morwald, but there was a particular evil deed aside from that.
“There’s one thing I will need to tell you, and I do apologize if it will make it hard for you to sleep,” said Vizaist.
“It doesn’t matter what you tell me now,” Noir carelessly replied with hollow eyes.
It wasn’t a role he really wanted, but Vizaist resolved himself to say it, even if it was rather drastic. It was necessary to pull her out of her brainwashing that was causing her to depend on her lord.
“It concerns the strange accident that happened to the Oud husband and wife, eight years ago. There is a possibility that Morwald is involved in that. It happened a rather long time ago, but we still don’t have any conclusive evidence.”
Noir just stared up at the ceiling, so Vizaist continued.
While a small family, the Ouds had peerage, and Noir’s father had served as Morwald’s aide in the military. But one day, on their way home from a noble social gathering, they were attacked by robbers. The husband tried to protect the wife, but in the end they both fell to the robbers’ deadly weapons.
It appeared to be a crime motivated by money, but it could have just been disguised to look like a robbery. Vizaist spoke of how the trigger for the attack was likely when Noir’s father discovered Morwald’s secret accounts and discussed the matter with a colleague.
After he’d explained everything, Noir only had one thing to say.
“So? You have no decisive evidence right?”
Her parents might have intentionally been assassinated. And even after being told that it might be under Morwald’s orders, Noir showed no emotion. Or at least...that was what it looked like.
Vizaist closed his eyes. A burning anger welled up inside of him, but it was mixed in with pity for the girl, which helped cool him down. He was struck by how she was similar in age to his beloved daughter, Felinella.
Vizaist took a deep, calming breath.
“It seems you are still not feeling well. Let’s leave it at this for today. Get some more sleep, the questioning tomorrow will last from morning to night.”
She did not speak.
“Also, the collar on your neck can detect mana being invoked. If you were to try and escape, neuroanesthesia will automatically be injected.”
“I know.” Noir said without even so much as checking the black collar.
Vizaist stood up from his chair and walked over to the exit door and entered his personal code. But before he left he turned around and spoke.
“That’s right, I almost forgot. I have a message from Alus: ‘If you want my head, you can come and get it any time.’”
Vizaist then left without waiting for an answer.
The sound of the door locking rang out. Even as the lights in the room turned off, Noir continued to stare up at the ceiling.
She slowly closed her eyes, and kept the sound of her breathing to a minimum as she sharpened her senses. She could hear the sound of footsteps moving away, and she was soon sure that there were no longer any people around.
Noir didn’t know if she was on the surface or underground, but she smiled slightly.
She then made a swift deliberate movement. Moving her body like a snake, she dislocated her arms and legs.
You’re too naive. You don’t have any surveillance cameras, and you think you could keep me locked down with this low level of restraints? Ha ha, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t kill me. You even went out of your way to heal me...ugh?!
But when she tried to move her body a little more forcefully, she felt a stabbing pain in her flank, and she bit her lip in response. Her senses were back.
Eventually, she exhaled a feverish breath from her trembling throat. Next, bones scraped audibly as they moved beyond their range of mobility.
She gathered mana into points no bigger than a strand of hair at the tips of her fingers to create a file. They were stronger than they looked, and she used those to carefully cut into her restraints.
It was an assassination technique she’d been taught, but it was impossible without great talent.
She carefully observed her collar, but it showed no signs of reacting, which only made sense since the amount she was using was no different from what normally leaked out of Magicmasters. Since it wasn’t enough mana to manifest even a weak spell, the collar’s sensor wouldn’t pick up on it.
Eventually Noir crawled out of her straitjacket and walked unsteadily along the wall in nothing but her patient gown. Reaching the authentication panel by the door, she moved her fingers.
She had watched Vizaist’s fingers on the panel through the reflection in the glass cup next to the bed, so unlocking the door was simple.
The door silently slid open. The lights in the hallway were off, but as an assassin who used the dark element, she could see somewhat all right in the very dim light.
There was nobody around.
Without even questioning it, Noir walked along the wall to the neighboring room. She leaned against the wall, enduring pain with every step. Every stinging step was like a knock on the door to her memories.
I’d forgotten my parents. Why even bring it up now, it’s no different from them ever existing to begin with. I was all alone until His Excellency picked me up and raised me. No...was I made to believe that? No, that’s definitely wrong!
Her head was aching because of the discrepancy between what she believed and what Vizaist had just told her. Unnecessary thoughts popped up into her mind, one after another.
Noir shook her head to get rid of the idle thoughts. It felt like her brain was a mess.
She shouldn’t have been thinking about anything unnecessary. That was how she’d always lived, not allowing anyone to invade her thoughts.
“I must hurry and save His Excellency...”
Noir arrived at the neighboring room, which had an authentication panel just like her room. The light on the panel was red.
She could forcibly destroy it and save her lord, but she decided to try the same code used for her room. As luck would have it, the light turned green, allowing Noir to let out a sigh of relief.
She had no plan. As if imprinted in her head, she was fully prioritizing a way to allow Morwald to escape.
She peeked in the room. Her eyes had gotten used to the darkness, so she could see that the room was no different from hers and she glanced on top of the bed. There was a bulge the size of an adult, but the person didn’t seem to be restrained like Noir. In fact, he even had a soft quilt over him. But the ring on the fat finger sticking out from under the cover was familiar to Noir.
“Your Excellency?” Noir asked in a quiet voice, but there was no reply.
Was he still sleeping? Noir staggered over to the bed and slowly reached her hand out. She ran her hand across his cheek and chin as if to confirm the structure of his face.
“Aha. Your Excellency—”
Noir looked down at his feet and stared at what she was touching, the pair of luxurious shoes that he had been wearing. She didn’t know why they were there. Some nurse must have forgotten them after undressing him, but even now, the tips of the shoes were covered in crimson blood.
As the smell assailed her nose, a voice rang out in her mind.
They were exactly the kinds of words that arrogant man would say, but she could clearly remember the distant sound of his angry voice when he’d been kicking her.
“Those scummy parents, trying to sabotage me!”
Morwald had unintentionally blurted that out because of his anger and panic. It was his mistake. Why would he even say that they had sabotaged him when they had supposedly been killed in a robbery.
After some time, a twisted smile appeared on Noir’s face. But it wasn’t a relief that Morwald was still alive.
Noir gave up on thinking deeply. She just found the fact that Morwald was in this room so amusing.
She climbed onto the bed and straddled the figure lying in it. The springs creaked a little and her unfocused eyes stared at the ugly fat man’s face.
She’d come here in order to save him, but the smell of her own blood and memories of what he’d said changed everything. With the information that Vizaist had given her, everything added up and something inside her broke.
She whispered, her smile twisted, “Your Excellency, I will save you right now. Heh heh, give me another order. Who should I kill next, Your Excellency... Your Excellency? Oh that’s right, you did something bad, didn’t you...?”
The bed creaked each time Noir shifted her weight.
“That’s fine, I don’t even remember how papa or mama looked, so that doesn’t matter. I forgive you, because it doesn’t matter. But...people that have done something bad need to be punished. After all, that’s the justice you told me about, Your Excellency.”
The bed creaked and Noir clenched her fists and raised them up high. She then swung them straight down right where the face would be.
Over and over and over again...
She had come with the intent to save her lord but suddenly gave in to destructive impulses despite saying that she forgave him. Her emotions and thoughts were incoherent and contradictory, and there was no way to describe it as anything other than her being broken.
Some sort of red liquid splattered, but Noir ignored everything and continued. For a while, Noir continued to slam down on silent lump of flesh without any thoughts.
“Aha ha ha...!!!”
Eventually, her stifled laughter came to an end and she stopped swinging and stumbled back to her feet.
Mana flowed as she created a spell.
Her collar immediately reacted, but Noir didn’t so much as react to the stinging pain of drugs being injected into the back of her neck. Before she passed out, a thin mist with a scythe appeared, and she turned that sharp weapon on the fat body lying on the bed. As she didn’t have her AWR, the spiritual body’s connection to the physical world was weak, but the scythe alone had a form.
Tears streamed down her cheek and dripped down from her chin.
Without hesitation, the scythe of death slid into the heart of its target. After accomplishing its goal, the spiritual body and scythe disappeared as if they’d never existed in the first place.
“Huh? His Excellency died...?”
The drugs finally kicked in and Noir lost consciousness, collapsing on the floor like a rag doll.
Her wet eyelashes would likely not dry for some time. Even unconscious, her tears continued flowing.
◇◇◇
He felt like he’d vividly seen how people break down at the end of madness. At the same time, he felt a melancholic pain in his heart.
After clearing his throat for a moment, the man nearing old age gave his subordinate his sympathies.
“I’m sorry for pushing an unpleasant role onto you, Vizaist.”
Even as he said that, the shameful emotions didn’t disappear. He felt like he wasn’t properly able to act as the coolheaded Governor-General he was supposed to be. When facing Lord Vizaist who’d been working with him for so long that they were closer to friends than subordinates, perfectly wearing that mask was even harder.
“Don’t say that, Berwick. I volunteered for it. We might have different jobs, but there’s only so much we can do on our own. So you don’t need to be so reserved.”
The two men had quietly watched the girl’s grotesque deeds in the hospital room that also served as a prison cell from the neighboring room through a magic mirror.
The aberrant behavior, the twisted thoughts.
This was Berwick’s oversight for failing to rescue everyone from the Magicmaster training program that he had suspended and taken apart. That was why he had taken special measures for Noir, without regard for the risks involved.
Despite knowing that it would be impossible to ever rehabilitate her, Berwick reached his wrinkled hand out towards the girl. It might be a bit conceited to call it hidden good deeds, but Berwick had scooped up several lives like that.
Even so, some would still slip out of his hands. There was a limit to how many one man could save.
However, Berwick would try picking up those who’d slipped out of his hands as well. That might be why Vizaist was still working for him. If two hands weren’t enough, then he could aid with a third or fourth.
Four was better than two.
This time he had acted with that in mind. Thinking of Noir, that was the least he could do. Perhaps because she was around the same age as Felinella, he even felt a sense of duty to save her despite her almost killing him.
Berwick stared at Noir, collapsed on the floor, through the magic mirror and let out a heavy sigh.
“Even in this position, there are so many times I feel powerless. I can only hope this frees her from Morwald’s spell.”
Looking at the calamity, it was clear that the chains that bound Noir were deep-rooted.
“That will depend on what happens next. She was subjected to long period of torture and abuse, possible including the use of drugs to cloud her mind. Her lack of ability to feel pain might be a result of her mind defending herself, as well as using self-suggestion through her dark magic. That’s not unreasonable to assume considering the torture room...which means, that girl is yet another victim, Berwick,” said Vizaist.
“I know. I know that, Vizaist, but we can’t afford the embers of the past to reignite. That might rock the very foundation of Alpha. As the old generation, we can’t allow the karma of the past to be brought into the future,” said Berwick.
“Yes, Alus is testing us by keeping her alive,” Vizaist said with a wry smile mixed in with confusion.
Alus had given them the question of how to handle this girl who had gone through the same thing as him and Loki. As responsible adults, how would Berwick and Vizaist respond?
“I think you know this already, but it won’t be as easy as with Loki Leevahl,” said Vizaist.
“Stop dressing me up as the bad guy. She decided to go with Alus. I only respected her decision,” said Berwick.
Loki was supposed to have been sent to observe Alus under Berwick’s orders. As a result, she had ended up as his partner. By his side, she had seen meaning in her life, and it was definitely having an effect on Alus as well.
As far as Vizaist could tell, it was a good change.
“Hmph, I can’t believe you’d say that with a knowing look on your face. That’s why you’re so suspicious. If you keep putting your nose in somebody else’s business, you’re going to end up getting burned.”
“Now if anything’s too late, that is,” Berwick calmly replied.
Vizaist glanced over at Noir and spoke in a solemn tone. “She has already passed the point of no return. Even if the drugs leave her system, her twisted mind won’t change back. Are you prepared for what comes next, Berwick?”
“Naturally. After Alus it might be painful, but it will be for her own good,” Berwick said, looking down at his wrinkled, calloused hands. “My hands are already dirtied. Sometimes, I can’t even tell who they belong to.”
“Hmph, is this another case of the heartless old man pretending to be serious. Well then, I’ll be going. I might be seriously injured, but work won’t wait for me.”
“Yes. I am sorry for letting this pile up, but I am relying on you.”
As the two were in a hidden room, there was no obvious entrance or exit, but when Vizaist inserted his authentication code into the panel on the wall, a rectangular hole silently opened up in the wall leading to the hallway.
Vizaist entered the neighboring room and carefully picked up Noir and carried her away. After seeing him leave, Berwick headed for another special room in the hidden room.
Inside of a white room was a mind magic technician in a special military uniform.
“So...how is their memory?” The technician answered with a serious expression.
“I have done what I can, but this is the limit.”
“I see.”
Berwick glanced over. There was a strange chair half the size of a bed with all sorts of complex devices and tubes connected to it. Sitting on it, fixed in place by belts, was Berwick’s old political enemy with his eyes closed.
Morwald was fast asleep.
“I have finished the mind manipulation. However, the old memories of the Magicmaster training program can only vaguely be extracted,” said the technician.
“Hmm. So it will be difficult.”
“There is something else that interests me... Lately, Morwald has been secretly meeting with somebody, but I wasn’t able to extract those memories. No matter how I try to look into them, they’re just like out-of-focus photographs... I have never seen anything like it before.”
After the technician said that, Morwald’s eyes shot open wide. He violently moved in an attempt to remove the gag.
“Mmm—hmmmmm?!”
“Don’t struggle like that or your wounds will open up again, former Major General,” Berwick said, voice full of ridicule.
All the technician could do was shrug in pity. He had a fancy title of mind magic technician, but he was a dark element Magicmaster in charge of extracting memories and working for Alpha.
It was illegal to perform painful interrogations with dark magic in accordance with international law, but Berwick wasn’t going to be picky when it came to dealing with Morwald.
Although, that was no longer necessary. His secret maneuvers had been a pain, but after this incident, Berwick’s bitter enemy had taken a fatal hit. He had attempted to take the life of one of Alpha’s Singles, and Vizaist’s subordinate’s swift movement had allowed them to secure evidence in Morwald’s mansion that he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of.
That was in part because Kruelsaith had been sent out, leaving the mansion shorthanded, but also because Morwald had finally shown his true colors, allowing Berwick to strip him of his authority.
Berwick coldly stared down at Morwald, who was still struggling to get free.
“How disappointing. This is what happens when you play with fire at such an age.”
It was clear what Morwald was asking for with his eyes.
“You want to complain about using a dark Magicmaster for interrogation? Hmph, like you’re one to talk, Morwald. Now listen up. I don’t care if you drop dead. We will be taking our time scrambling around in your head, so get ready.”
There was still a long way to go. Morwald had a pipeline to the underworld. Then there was his connection to the Einhimmel sect. How far could they get in their investigation?
“...That’s enough. Put him to sleep again.”
“Understood!”
The mind magic technician pulled out a syringe from his pocket and stuck into Morwald’s fat neck, injecting him with sleep medication. Morwald’s eyes turned vacant, and he fell back asleep.
“Now then, how about that suspicious secret meeting partner... Was it someone who lit a fire under Morwald, or just one of his cronies?”
Morwald was close to the Womruina family, and it could have been someone from the family, but something felt off. Berwick was thinking about the strange observers that Vizaist had reported to him. Someone had witnessed the Tenbram as well as the battle between Alus and Noir.
“Governor-General, could it be Kurama?”
“I can’t say for certain. Even Morwald would shirk back from having a direct connection to Kurama. It is highly likely that the Einhimmel sect is involved. In which case, Morwald was likely being used.”
Morwald groaned, his face grim.
The Einhimmel sect was ostensibly a legitimate religious organization, but they had been strangely active lately, and there were plenty of rumors that they had ties to nobles in other nations. Orneus, who had been fighting Alus, had withdrawn because he had been concerned about Archbishop Silvette as well, but Berwick had no way of knowing that.
At any rate, information on them was lacking. Even Vizaist struggled to get a hold of something, as the wall protecting the sect was very thick.
It’s common for religion to rise during anxious times. That said, only Archbishop Silvette and a few other bishops show themselves in public. The cult is practically a secret organization.
After thinking for a while, Berwick made up his mind and muttered, “The Einhimmel sect...it sounds like they need to be investigated.”
After the incident, the cult had cut ties with Morwald. Although they had acknowledged a connection to him, they issued a formal statement and apologized to the public for any misunderstanding, saying that they had the same shallow relationship with the military high command that other religious groups had.
Messengers appeared before Berwick and Cicelnia as well, bearing gifts in hopes of resolving the misunderstanding.
It was possible to turn them down, but the goods they had brought were a problem. They offered precious relics, just like Minerva, which was finally showing signs of being clarified.
There was no doubt that Minerva was the origin of all AWRs, and it also had historical value. Some of the offerings were key items that could shed light on the origin of Fiends, so not even Berwick could ignore them.
Besides, there was no clear evidence that they had been involved with the incident. Moreover, Archbishop Silvette didn’t try to hide it. Instead he confessed his own failings, claiming that he and some of his followers had sided with Morwald because they had been tricked and that the incident had nothing to do with the cult.
He even took on a modest attitude and took responsibility by suspending himself.
Berwick was astonished by how well they handled the aftermath, but he didn’t forget to keep them in check. As part of political negotiations, Berwick confiscated some of the Einhimmel sect’s missionary bases and temporarily prohibited them from expanding. Investigation into and surveillance of the Einhimmel sect would also be stepped up.
It was fortunate that the girl, Noir, could be put under protection in the chaos of the incident.
So we found some results. But we can’t move any further than this. There’s nothing but faults with me.
Berwick felt himself getting depressed. He felt fully fed up with it, but he couldn’t abandon the path he’d chosen to walk down alone. Any massive political decision required sacrificing something to accomplish something else.
In order to stay sane, Berwick was always looking to atone. Hence Alus as well as Loki and now Noir were his targets.
Whether he saved or abandoned someone depended entirely on his own self-centered reasons. Despite that, he couldn’t stop himself.
Berwick exhaled and pushed the light switch on the wall.
Dim light lit up the room that Noir had gone wild in. In the bed was a bulge with its face smashed in, and red stains splattered on the white walls.
The scene was a disaster, the direct result of years of pent-up feelings that when unleashed lessened the horrific karma coiled up within her. That’s what Berwick decided to tell himself.
“Besides, it’s just the blood of an imitation. The stained walls can be cleaned just by wiping them.”
Berwick hoped the same could be true for the girl’s heart. In the room, what had been destroyed by Noir’s destructive impulses was an accurately made dummy filled with artificial blood. Vizaist had secretly prepared it, but Berwick chose not to ask about its origins.
Being sensitive to the workings of the underworld, Berwick imagined that it was a Kruelsaith corpse that Vizaist had collected from that gruesome battlefield. That was in pretty poor taste, but with how driven by insanity and abnormal excitement Noir was, she wasn’t going to look at the details in the dark.
There were also skilled Magicmasters positioned at all exits in the event that she tried to escape.
Even so, the scenery in the room stirred his heart. If they didn’t do this, Noir would be forever dependent on Morwald as his puppet. It was a dirty and dreadful solution, but there was meaning in it.
At least, that was what Berwick wanted to believe.
A big obstacle to unifying the military had finally been removed. His authority was greater than ever, and his foothold to launch all sorts of plans was all the sturdier.
However, the mental strain that assailed him caused Berwick to let out a long sigh, as if getting rid of the poison built up within him. His face then brightened as if to encourage himself.
There was still a long way to go. If he let his exhaustion show here, he wouldn’t be able to overcome the countless difficulties in the future or contend with the many problems that would arise.
The adversity that came his way was his greatest chance, which was why he would use it to reform the military.
Mustering the remaining strength in his aging body, Berwick headed for his office.
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