The training in preparation for the upcoming war was still going on. The soldiers were seen swinging their weapons or practicing using their demon's power to their fullest day in and day out. The atmosphere was tense. Everyone from ordinary soldiers to the seven Captains was working their butts off.
On the other hand, the five Lieutenants had other work to do. While they did train now and then, they were also assigned a task to monitor the forest for any suspicious activity from the enemy side. From the beginning of the war strategy, they had been suspicious that Gregronor and his legion of demons might already know about the incoming attack from the human side. While they were busy training, there was a chance that Gregronor might attack first. If that happened, there was a high possibility that the human side would be annihilated by the surprise attack. To prevent that from happening, the five Lieutenants took turns to go and keep an eye on the forest so they can respond to whatever may come their way quickly.
Today, it was Vanitas's turn to go monitor the forest during the day. He was not alone, however.
"There doesn't seem to be anything out of place here," Melfina said as she looked around the forest with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah." Vanitas had, together with Melfina, kept watch over the forest for the whole day today. Up through the cracks in the tall branches and leaves of the trees, Vanitas could see the sky change color from blue to black.
"It's getting dark."
"Whose turn is it to keep watch for the night today?" Just as Melfina finished her question, two figures came into sight.
"Good work you two. We will take it from here."
It was Elvis and Praxis.
"Okay. Good luck." Melfina said while Vanitas gave a nod to the both of them. They returned his nod and then Vanitas left the forest along with Melfina.
They did not run back and instead chose to walk their way back to the headquarters leisurely. That is why it took them more than half an hour until they saw the gate through the huge walls.
"Sorry for the trouble I keep causing you, Melfina," Vanitas said as they crossed through the first gate.
"Are you talking about my pair-up with you for the lookouts?"
"Yes."
Vanitas had a secret. He lost his memories every time he used the true power of his demon. So that he could continue being a part of the Demon Extermination Corp without arousing much suspicion and without anyone else knowing about his true powers, he had confided to Melfina and Edward. They had agreed to help him. It was agreed that whenever Vanitas was out for battle in the forest, Melfina will be with him so she could handle the situation accordingly if Vanitas had to use his powers and he lost his memories.
There were five Lieutenants currently and the rule was for two of them to go at a time. Melfina was to accompany Vanitas at all times. While she also had to go teaming up with someone else. Because of that, sometimes Melfina had to go through the whole day keeping an eye out without getting a wink of sleep. Vanitas knew that it was because of him so that was why he felt responsible for it.
Melfina, however, cooly dismissed his worries, "Don't worry about that. I am doing just fine. It's not that bad and I rest when I feel like my body won't last. Not to mention, I took this role upon myself willingly so there is no need for you to feel so down about it."
"But still..." So she said, but Vanitas still could not help but blame himself for her tough situation. Melfina realized that as well. To lessen his guilt a bit, Melfina proposed a solution.
"If you really feel that bad, why don't you treat me to something in the town?"
"The town?" Vanitas questioned.
"Wait. You don't know about it?"
"I have heard of it, but I have not once set foot down in the town." He had heard about it from Eleanor, Dominique, and others and he did want to go there once but he had not been able to find time for that.
"Isn't that great then? I can show you around town and you can get me a treat."
"Sounds good."
The two first went to their quarters to get freshened up. Vanitas grabbed the pouch with money and tied it near the hilt of his sword. He had only yesterday received his monthly allowance so the pouch was bulging a bit.
The two met up at the gate on the other side of the quarters, away from the huge walls.
The road they walked on was marbled and it went down a steep slope a bit ahead. When Vanitas and Melfina reached the edge of the steep slope, Vanitas got a splendid view of the whole town.
"It looks amazing..." Vanitas muttered in amazement. It was the first he had seen a town(according to his current memories).
There were countless houses spread around the whole town that looked circular in design from where Vanitas was. The houses were almost identical. They were all two to three stories with a thatched roof. He could see little roads snake around and in between the whole town as it went connecting them.
"Let's go."
Following Melfina's lead, Vanitas walked down towards the little town through the winding paths as he looked at the surrounding. He looked up towards the tall castle that was located a bit farther and higher up from the town.
Melfina noticed where Vanitas was looking and gave an explanation.
"That is the castle where the current king and queen of The Kingdom of Eonia reside. Aside from the castle, there are other houses there. It's the capital of our Kingdom ad the place where the upper class of the kingdom lives. A bit farther from the castle and near the outer edges live the middle-class people."
"I see." There was a division between people belonging to higher and lower classes. If that was where the people of the upper echelon lived, then that meant the town he was headed to, which was separated from the castle area by a huge wall, was for those considered to be belonging to the lower class.
Just as they were heading down, they could see columns of carriages making their way up.
Vanitas counted them. There were fourteen such carriages that looked to be carrying something as the white horses pulled them up. There was a coachman in front to guide the horses. When they saw Melfina and Vanitas, it felt like they had moved their carriages to the right a bit, as if they wanted to avoid them.
The carriages were passing one by one through their right. Vanitas wondered what was inside.
"They are arms and ammunitions sent by the kingdom for the upcoming war."
"That is quite some amount." Vanitas marveled.
"You bet. The fate of the kingdom resides in this war after all. So they cannot cut corners."
The last of the carriage was about to get past the two.
Vanitas felt that the coachman of the last carriage was looking at him. He turned his head toward him and when he did, this was what the coachman said, "Filthy demons," with utter disgust laced in his voice.
Vanitas was confused by this sudden show of hostility when he had done nothing to earn that.
"The people of the kingdom hate us soldiers, Vanitas," Melfina spoke from beside him.
"Hate? Why is that so?" The soldiers were putting their lives on the line to protect the kingdom. So why would they hate their saviors when they should be grateful to them?
"Because we house demons inside our bodies." Melfina urged him to resume walking while she continued her explanation. "The Kingdom of Eonia is influenced by the church and every child is preached about the teachings of the church. The church believes that demons are evil and inhuman beings that are to be revolted and feared. If you follow that logic, then those who house the souls of those demons are equally evil and inhuman. That is why the church hates us and the people of the kingdom view us as evil, inhuman beings. And that's the reason that we have been stationed so far away from the kingdom, right at the border."
"But that isn't fair, is it? These soldiers have been using that power for the good of the kingdom so it makes no sense to hate and ostracize them."
"It doesn't matter whether the person is doing good deeds or bad deeds. If the source of it is evil, then that makes them evil. A tree with a bad root doesn't grow good fruits, as they put it." Melfina gave a derisive laugh after that.
"Then, how about the soldiers? They just tolerate the unjust oppression, and continue to put their lives in danger for a kingdom that doesn't care about them? Haven't they thought to abandon the kingdom or retaliate?"
"Of course, they want. They hate the kingdom for the way it has treated them. But they can't."
"Why?"
"Because their families still live in this kingdom. If they don't fight, then the demons will invade and kill their families and friends. They can't just sit back when it comes to their families. So that's why they fight. Not for the sake of their family but for the sake of their loved ones. And they can't just take their families and run away from the kingdom. Even if they run, where will they go? How will they live? The demons are littered everywhere. For them, this is the safest place to currently live in. So, they fight, even if they hate the kingdom."
"This is messed up." Vanitas had no other words to offer.
"Yeah. But that is the way of life the soldiers here have to live until the demons are wiped off the face of our continent or until they die themselves."
It really was a cruel fate. They fight without caring about their own lives while the very people they protect hate them and ostracize them. What a cruel irony it was!
"Don't think too hard about it, Vanitas. We take pride in what we chose to do and the fact that we fight and die for the sake of our loved ones is noble and romantic, don't you think? Dying while protecting others is the noblest way to die; it is the most ideal and meaningful death if you ask me." Melfina gave a smile as if she truly meant it.
To Vanitas, Melfina looked like a lotus grown in mud, that shone despite all the odds and that took pride in herself.
Seeing her smile, Vanitas's lips cracked up as well and then he was pulled along through hands by Melfina as they approached the little town.