Four days ago, two days before Mark's departure, Myron was in his room as per usual. He generally was someone very reserved. He liked to stay in a closed space, studying his own things and thinking. There was always a chessboard beside him with an unfinished game in which some pieces moved from time to time, but it always got to the same tie.
From time to time, Myron would move his tired silver-colored eyes from his books and notes, peeking at the chessboard while scratching his grizzly hair. He would stroke his squared chin, sometimes massage his temples, then come back to what he was doing again after reasoning for so long.
'I wonder who will be able to solve that thing... it's been tied for so many years, after all...' he moved his eyes to the chessboard again once that thought randomly went through his mind. 'A tie, huh...? I don't think that it is the case, though. The black side seems to be losing for a while now. They sacrificed an important piece to avoid getting their king killed, after all. I think that it was the most crucial point of this game. What a hassle...'
He yawned as he stretched his arms and forced his back until it snapped.
'I am saying all of this but.. wouldn't it be better if this game just ended once and for all? If that's the case, then it would be much easier if the white side just betrayed the rules of the game and-'
His line of thought got interrupted once someone opened the door with a loud thud. For a moment, he got startled and angry. He hated when people came and disturbed his peace. He went to live in that isolated room precisely because he didn't want anyone bothering him. Even so, there was one person that always came there and started to be a hassle.
He wasn't ready for an entire hour dealing with that guy making jokes about him and making him want to die. He was getting sick of it.
Nonetheless, the usual mockery and agitation didn't show up. Instead, just complete silence hovered the room.
"What are you planning to do this time?" Myron asked, clenching his fist around his pen, preparing to stab that man in his chest if he could.
Without saying any word, the annoying man sat on his bed as if he was invited to do so. His posture and expression were quite different from what Myron had seen in the previous years that they interacted with each other. He just saw that annoying idiot being so serious when he was pretending to or when he was going on a mission with the rest of the group.
"I am not planning anything," Mark's voice echoed in the room. That statement sounded like heaven for Myron, who would be able to study in peace at least for that day.
A moment of silence befell that room as Myron and Mark kept quiet.
"I just received the reporting of one of our scouts. They were patrolling in the region and trying to collect some information from other citizens and even people from the danger zones. Due to this fact, what they discovered most likely was true."
"What did they discover that got you so worried like this? Is it something that may affect our lives?" he asked hastily.
"They... they discovered that there is a demon walking in enemy territory. Apparently, he doesn't have a clan since he isn't partying up with anyone. It is said that he was living among humans in the territory of the angels and was discovered by Clementine. He should have the same level as a novice, but even so, he could not only shatter the Soul Mirror of an E-rank Paladin with just one blow, but also kill him on the spot and run away from an entire troop of paladins."
Myron sighed to his friend as he spun on his chair and turned to him. He had annoyed and exhausted eyes once again. That was the immediate effect that Mark had on him.
"That's pretty common, doesn't it? We see this type of different demon appearing from time to time in enemy territory. Not all of them are born with the opportunity to join a clan," he said as he sighed. "That's all you have got to say to me?"
"Just listen to me!" Mark exclaimed, clasping his hands together and squeezing them with all his strength. He surely was very frustrated.
Myron never saw him acting like that, so his jaw dropped for a moment before he realized it.
"O-Ok, Mark..."
"Indeed, lots of demons are born in such circumstances, but there is something more behind it. The description of this demon, the power he has even though he isn't a warrior, and the importance that the Paladins are giving to him... Everything makes me think that he is... my..."
Mark swallowed his words, not willing to say the rest. Myron was intelligent enough to know what he meant.
The gray-headed demon struck his chin and spun in his chair again. He asked for more details, so Mark told him everything he knew.
"Well, considering the place, time, and circumstances, it isn't impossible that he is your brother, indeed. That might be the case. However... so what?" he asked with indifferent eyes.
"So what? I am going to find him, of course! Now that I have enough clues and the approval of such a brilliant mind, I think it's just the expectation that I go talk to the boss. I bet that he will let me go to this mission, at least," Mark had a confident gleam inside his eyes as he said so, a smile appearing on his face.
Myron frowned hard, thinking through things before saying something.
"Aren't you being too impulsive? Why would you want to go in a reckless chase to get back your brother, whom we don't know whether is the person they are mentioning or not."
Mark closed his hands into fists right after hearing it.
"I have enough clues to assume that he is my brother. If that's the case, I must bring him back for the sake of our race. You know more than anyone else here what's the consequences of bringing him back."
"Yes," he said, scratching his hair. "The good and bad consequences, by the way. However, that's something that you should discuss with the boss, not with me."
Mark nodded his head, getting up from the bed.
"Thanks, I just wanted to make sure that I was not crazy. I needed to vent to someone about this discovery. My world got shaken when I heard our scouts talking about it. It seemed like I traveled several years ago. Until this point, I tried not to think about this matter, but the fact that my brother might be alive always bothered me. Now that I have this golden chance, I won't let it go away for sure!"
Myron gazed at his friend, then moved his eyes towards the chessboard, spending a whole minute staring at it.
"What will you do if the boss doesn't let you go? What will you do if he has the same idea I have in mind?" Myron asked, narrowing his eyes to the king of the black pieces.
"I will do it regardless. You know that nobody can stop me when I am resolute. I will go away selfishly at first, but you guys will see that I am doing this to protect you," he said with a confident smile.
Myron left his chair, walking slowly towards the chessboard that remained untouched for so many years. He was still stroking his chin, pensive.
Mark cautiously looked at him as he approached that board. He never saw Myron changing the pieces of their respective places in person. That was the very first time since they knew each other.
"The piece that can guarantee the victory of the black pieces comes to the board again...", he said as he took the black queen and poised it among the enemies.
"However, another important piece needs to be sacrificed, hence sacrificing its defenses to do it...", he said as he moved a tower to the queen's side, leaving an opening to the black king that the whites could easily take advantage of.
"You are saying that you are going away to protect us, but who will defend our home if something happens?" Myron grimly asked, looking intently at the opening left on the chessboard.
"You know very well why the neighbor Paladins doesn't do anything to the demons of this suburb, don't you? Your presence is our key to safety, and your brother is our warranty that the war won't trigger again. If you go away, you will end up leaving a lot of weight on our shoulders. Be aware of it when you talk to the boss and hear his scold."
Mark bit his lips, but tried to take that situation as something way less serious than it was.
"Hahaha, you could have had cheered me up for my courage, don't you? I am not happy to take this course of action either...", he gave an awkward chuckle as he scratched his head.
Myron sighed, pushing him in the exit's direction.
"Go away already, I am busy."
This way, he coldly expelled Mark from there and closed the door of his room. The door didn't have a lock, but he was sure that Mark wouldn't be back.
Myron returned to his chair and sat there, glancing at the board and the position of the pieces.
He punched the table with all his strength while letting out a grunt of anger.
'You damn bastard... Just what you can't understand about this whole situation? Stop trying to fight against something you can't win.'