"Oi, old man," I said to the King,
Ichijou was shocked with how disrespectful I was, and he yelled, "Kiseki! Watch your mouth! You're talking to the King!"
"Hahahahaha... King or not, why should I respect someone who's about to execute me?" I asked him. I then looked straight to King Edwin and said, "Old man. You're really sure good in talking but never was in thinking,"
The King's trustees were furious at how arrogant I was acting towards him, but King Edwin himself never jolted nor hinges. Instead, he had his taunting look at me and replied, "What's the meaning behind your discourtesy, criminal."
My mischievous smile was carved all over my face as I answered, "You're pretty arrogant to think that you can win the fight against the Devil without the help of my power. Have you not hear from the soldiers what I'm capable of? I took down an entire army in the vicinity by myself while your useless soldiers cowered themselves at the corner for their life to be spared by the monsters. You have the chance to manifest this opportunity while I'm still willing to lend you a hand, but you blinded yourself with the pride that you have upon your army. Besides, You don't want to piss me off right now, Your 'Highness'. Getting out from these metal chains and beheaded you is nothing more than swatting a fly."
He chuckled and said, "Hah! Nice try playing such a bluff to me. The chains that were locked onto your hands and feet isn't a feeble metal as you expect, it was made out from pure mithril that could withstand any forces that comes to it. Look at you right now! You can't even walk normally with your limbs tied up like that! Let alone breaking free by using your power. Besides, I have no interest to be using your wicked capability to win through this war! It's against what this Empire believe in! The righteousness of winning a battle comes when one uses their talents, not tricks,"
" Do you really have to care about how fair and square you're fighting in this battle right now? In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity. I am the only opportunity and hope that you had right now! Your enemy isn't just some random Specia that care about your culture or heritage! We're talking about the Devil, my friend. They are a being that sly as well as wicked and knows no boundary to torture or kill any living creatures in their ways just for the sake of fun!" I replied to him,
"How dare you mock the way of our combat for this war when you're nothing more than a rat! Comparing us to your kinds, your people had failed the entire Specia a few years ago! What's worst is that you're kind even turned against us when they were put under immense pressure! What makes you think I should let you free and have the chance to betray us one day when you have no option left to fight but to run!" King Edwin shouted and me in anger,
I swiftly interrupted him and said, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. But, with the power I behold, I can prove to you that we can overcome this useless fight! We can end it for good and save many lives from the wrath of the Devil! You cannot judge me based on what my people had done to you! I'm different from them, and I'm not interested in using my power to benefits my own greed and lust!"
I have to turn this table around. The King hasn't taken my bait yet, but it seems like whatever I'm doing might be working. Soldiers who were trying to drag me away from the room a moment before starting to unsheathed their sword and have it pointed to my neck. There were five of them in each direction.
"Young man, my Empire is well equipped with hundreds if not thousands of soldiers to win the fight against the Devil if we happened to get attacked by them. Besides, instead of using desperate barbaric power like yours, with careful planning and perfect timing, we can change the course of the war and be victorious!" He replied to me,
I took a deep breath for a moment and countered him, "I have a quote to say to you that came from a wise philosopher in my previous world..." I said to him, "There are five dangerous faults that may affect a true leader. Recklessness leads to destruction; cowardice, which leads to capture; a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; a delicacy of honour that is sensitive to shame; last but not least, over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. From what I see in you, you're the whole package. Your outer layer might have shown to these people that you're a wonderful leader. But not to the enemy nor me, you're as vulnerable as your people around you,"
King Edwin was offended by the words I said to him. He was pissed and eventually spoke to the guards, "I have enough of your obtuse bluffing! Guards! Get him out of my sight immediately and execute him as soon as you arrive at the dungeon! This will be your lesson in your next afterlife to not get too cocky with your words, Unmarked Sinner!"
I was unhinged when all five of the guards pulled the chains to drag me away from the scene. I gently smirked at King Edwin and responded to him, "I'm not scared of death that you befall onto me! If you really think of me as nothing more than just a dangerous criminal with unprecedented power, then take my life right here and now. There's no need to bring me to the dungeon. I wanted my last moment in this world to witness the face of regret that you will have for not listening to me. Mark my word, King Edwin. The only opportunity you had to win this war is truly gone when my head rolled down on this floor,"
King Edwin had his grip tightly clenched together when I said that. The guards strike onto the back of my legs, making me loses balance and eventually fall to my knees. One of the Kings' trustees then said to me, "How dare such lowlife like you said to the King like that! Very well! If that's what you seek for! Then have it your way! Guards! Off with his head!"
This will be it; I guess I failed to talk myself out of this situation, or so I thought it would be. By the time those five guards were about to swing their sword right at my throat at once, the King started laughing and said,
"Hahahaha! Stand down, all of you,"
Everyone in the room was confused by the statement that the King and the guards were able to stop their sword right in time before it cut through my neck. What's this?- Did he took my bait at the very last minute of our conversation?- No, that's not it. Something seems a little bit odd with how the King behaving right now. I need to find the reason behind all this,
"Oh,~ scared that your fancy carpet gets tainted by the unpure blood of an Unmarked Sinner like me?" I taunted him for no reason,
"I like your bravery and tenacity, Sinner. Your eyes speak no lie from the word you have spouted to me," He said to me,
I then confusedly asked him, "What do you mean by that, old man."
He gently glares his eyes towards me and says to the guard, "Unchain this man at once and get back to your stations,"
The guards complied with what he said in a split second without questioning his authority, and they instantaneously released me from the cuffs. I can't read what's the King is thinking right now. What is he trying to do?-
"You finally listened, huh," I told him,
He grinned at me and stood up from his throne before moving closer. Ichijou quickly sat on one knee when the King approached us. As of now, King Edwin is just a few feet away from where I'm standing. He then replied to me, "I may have not believed you at first, but after a while, I may have gotten a bit of liking to you. No one had ever raised their voice and spoke for themselves like you did towards me. You stick with what you believe and try your best to convince me that you're not the likes of your kind who wants nothing but greed and selfishness for their own good. Although the way you're trying to make a bluff to get yourself out of this situation is quite desperate, I still admire your determination."
I rubbed my wrist to ease the sore that I felt from the cuff and asked him, "Does that mean you will take away the execution charges against me?"
"Not so fast, boy. Your freedom will be considered if you could give me one last valid reason that could change my mind and put my trust in you for what you just said about winning this war," He replied,
One of the Kings' trustees quickly intervened with us and said, "But, my liege! He's an Unmarked Sinner! We can't put ourselves at risk to believe what he just said! He will definitely betray us sooner or later!"
King Edwin turned towards the trustees, glared at him with his daunting eyes, and replied, "SILENCE!- Are you trying to tell me how to do my work?!-"
"N-No, Your Highness!-" his trustees quickly backed off and simply shut his mouth afterwards,
"So, what will your answer be, young man," the King asked me when his trustees walked away,
I'm not really safe yet, huh. What other reasons can I give to him so that he will set me free?- Think, Kiseki. Think.
Eventually, I found out what I should be telling him from the beginning. The most crucial information that could really anchor the King to trust me right away. I glanced at him for a brief moment before saying,
"Along my journey, I have done one thing that none of you had before for the entire span of this war. I have met with the Devil, Lucifer, herself face to face. The one behind this whole scheme of our demise. If you set me free from this pointless trial, I assure you I have one way to help you out winning this war."
Everyone in the room was stunned when I mentioned the meeting with Lucifer. But the King wasn't. Instead, he had this mischievous smile on his face as if he wanted to know more about it,
"Splendid answer. You finally pulled my interest; I would like to know more about your story with the Devil," The King said to me,
In the end, I told him the same story I did to Ichijou. I make sure to not leave a single bit of information slide past this moment. This is the only chance I have to build his trust in me. King Edwin was considerate enough to let me sit down to talk about it. He was very focused on everything I said to him. Ichijou seems relieved that the King put on hold on my execution if I give him the best reason. Then, when I finally finished my story,
"Then what will you do if I were to set you free from your execution?" the King asked me,
"The Sinners was bestowed with a helper by God that they call themselves to be the Calling. They told me that if I go to Elmwick Mountains and discover the ancient Ruins that lies within it, I would find a clue about this world as well as the reason behind Lucifer's declaration of war upon Ruina," I responded,
King Edwin began to caress his beard and said, "For you to go to the Elmwick Mountains will take tremendous resources and time. What if there's nothing there? Your journey would be pointless in the end,"
"Yes, you're right, your majesty. But we will never know what kind of destiny lies upon us unless we try," I replied to him,
"Very well. I heard your answer, and I am reasonably satisfied with it. To receive such news that could give us faith and hope to finally end this despicable war for good is truly astounding. It is time for us to look for an alternative way to fight and help you seek the truth about Ruina and the Devil," King Edwin replied to me happily. He swiftly turned his back at me and walked back to his throne. When the time he had taken a seat, he said to everyone,
"Listen to all of you in this room. I, King Edwin Lucenfort, of the Croterin Empire, choose to dismiss the charges against this man, Kiseki, from his execution. He is a free man from this day onward,"
Nobody was looking like they agreed to his decisions, but none of them dared to speak to the King about it. In the meantime, Ichijou was hyped up and started jumping around in joy after hearing the words that came from King Edwin,
"Kiseki, you little bastard! You almost gave me a heart attack from what you had just done! You're no longer a prisoner, man! We can go back to our adventure!-" He whispered to me as he slapped my back over and over,
The King suddenly intervened him and said, "At ease, young man. I still have some news to say to all of you,"
"I- Forgive me, My liege!" Ichijou quickly gets back to his one knee.
"Kiseki. Starting today, Croterin Empire will assist you on your journey. I will let you choose among the best of the best Commanders and soldiers to come with you to Elmwick Mountains. We will have the other nations and Specia's Continent know about your journey and ask them to let you through their border. You will be provided with a special pass to show to those people that you are one of us," King Edwin explained,
What a blessing to behold!- To be set free as well as getting total aid by the King. This is much better than I anticipated. My mind was filled with joy, and I was struggling to keep my feet from dancing happily. I quickly bowed down to the King and said to him,
"Your Majesty! I- I don't know how to express my gratitude for everything you gave to me! This is unbelievable! I'm sure the future ahead of us will be bright once I complete this mission!-"
"Don't bow your head down, young man. Hahahaha! I prefer the previous you that just called me an old man! Such fierce look and excellent posture of self credibility! But keep this in mind, Kiseki. You must promise me one thing while you're out on this journey. I want you to control your Sinner's System for the greater good of Specia. Even if you fail to search the truth about this war and the content of this world, at least we will still have the last resort: to use the tremendous power you hold to fight with the Devil. So don't let it dominate you; instead, you must show who's in charge of your body. By the time you get back here. I want to see changes coming from you."
King Edwin wanted me to train myself with the Sinner's System?- I just promised myself not to use this power, so I don't end up hurting my friends anymore. There's no way he accepts if I decline what he just asked me to do. Whether I like it or not, he's right. If somehow we failed the mission, I still have Sinner's System to change the course of history.
I held my head up high and looked at him confidently, and said, "You have my word, old geezer! By the time I'm back here, I will master this power. I'll show you what I'm capable of doing with it, and I will do my best to fend us from the wrath of Lucifer,"
King Edwin began to laugh merrily as he stood up from his throne, "I like your spirit, young man. The eye of the King can never be deceived, and I can see the greater good in you! We shall end this talk now, Kiseki. Both of you need to get some good rest before starting your expedition! I will have my helper show you to your place to stay. Make yourself at home, and you may use the facilities in this castle as you like! We will meet again in three days on the date of your departure!"
"Thank you, King Edwin!"
A few hours after that event had passed. Ichijou and I were at ease that I wouldn't be getting any punishment. Cicily seemed to feel the same way, too, although she didn't express it openly. Before leaving the castle, I met with all the soldiers that were with me during the battle in Fairdrift to seek their forgiveness. Thank goodness they accepted it.
During the whole trip to the place that we were going to stay, I was able to strengthen my relationship with Ichijou. He's no longer mad at me and accepted my apology for all the secrets I kept from him. Not to mention, we both were exhilarated in the end that we had the chance to accommodate one of the luxurious houses outside the castle.
Eventually, night had finally caught up to us. The only thing left that came to my mind right now is how can I get myself to talk to Ellisa. I'm sure she's happy to find out that I would not be executed by the King. But also, she's probably still hating me and didn't want to see me. I asked Ichijou for some opinion on how I could make up with Ellisa. Sadly, the only thing he kept repeating to me was,
"You have to find your own way to handle that. It's not my problem."
I can't just let it be like this forever. We will embark on a journey together soon. I have to get myself together and do my best to obtain Ellisa's trust in me again. All of a sudden, when Ichijou and I were about to put the lights off, we heard a knock at the front door. I decided to check who it was when Ichijou told me that he wanted to sleep first.
To my surprise, as I opened the door, the person who was standing outside was none other than Ellisa. She still had upsetting looks on her face while her eyes swayed away from me. At that time, I had the feeling that this would be my perfect chance to talk it out to her, and so I made my move,
"Ellisa, I wanted to apologize to you..."