I'll leave a note here since I think some people don't read what I write at the end of the chapter.
Well, as some of you may have noticed, lately the chapters have been taking longer to come out, and the reason is this: I'm sick.
My immune system has always been pretty lousy; I catch a cold every 1-2 months, and any change in the weather just makes it worse. What happened last week? A temperature drop from 28 degrees Celsius (82,4 F) to 4 Cº (41 F). That kind of messed me up.
It's horrible writing with a cold, not that it hurts or anything, but my brain feels slow, like the whole world is running at 15 FPS. My thoughts are still sluggish; it's frankly suffocating.
I'm much better now; the fever of 39 stopped rising, and I didn't have to go to the hospital. I'll be writing more in the coming days.
That said, please read my note at the end of the chapter; I've left some explanations there.
Finally, if anyone wants to support me or simply read 3 to 7 chapters ahead of my stories, this is possible on my (P)(A)(T). If not, I still appreciate you reading my stories.
(P)(A)(T)/CalleumArtori
Lastly, for real this time, have a good night and happy reading!
[...]---[...]
Mistral was a curious place. It was like a junction of all the Eastern countries I knew on Earth.
I was most familiar with Japanese culture, for obvious reasons, but still knew a bit about the culture of other countries like China and Korea.
Mistral was like a fusion of these three and much more. The houses had the appearance and traits of old houses, like in Kimetsu, others newer and modern, but still maintaining a rural aesthetic.
Not only that, but I could see places, shops with characters resembling Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The language I heard was also like a fusion of these three, varying in accent from person to person.
The city was noisy too, like Vale, something I didn't expect. Vale was hosting the Vytal Festival, and the tourists there were countless, even with the city on alert after the Grimm invasion, the number of people in the streets was enormous.
Mistral didn't lag behind in this regard. I quickly realized why when we arrived at what seemed to be a central square, with a huge tower rising in the middle. At the top of the tower, four large televisions were off.
"I presume these screens are for when the festival starts. Will they broadcast everything?" I commented to Ozpin.
The man nodded and looked at the large tower.
"Traveling between the kingdoms is something expensive and often dangerous too. Not everyone has that luxury." The man explained. "Even with the Vytal Festival being hosted in Vale this year, all the other kingdoms celebrate a 'Mini-Festival'." Ozpin looked around and resumed walking as he spoke.
"So, everyone, even those who couldn't make it to the hosting kingdom, would be able to see the festival."
"That's why the stalls." I remarked.
There were thousands of open shops, but not just shops, there were also stalls on the streets selling various items, foods, and even other services like palm reading, cards of what I think is this world's tarot, and divination.
The whole place had a cheerful air, even though the official start of the festival was two weeks away, it was as if the kingdom was already in celebration.
"We're being followed." Ozpin commented in a calm voice, as if talking about the weather. The man didn't even turn when he said these words, avoiding drawing attention to us.
Well, at least more attention than we already drew. Ozpin and I were clearly 'tourists', not to mention the man was the headmaster of Beacon; his face must be known.
"I noticed. They don't seem friendly, but they're not 'red'." Everyone who looked at us and followed 'secretly' was represented by yellow dots. "Some have the same spider tattoo."
I noticed in passing and commented to Ozpin. The man didn't seem surprised.
"They're Lil' Miss Malachite's men and women. Spiders. That's what they're called, one of, if not the largest crime syndicate in Mistral."
"A crime syndicate?..." I hummed before wondering. "Are they going to be a problem?"
"No, or at least not usually. Miss Malachite isn't someone who makes enemies for no reason."
"They're just here to watch us and report back then." I nodded. That is, if they weren't with Salem. Lionheart was a possible traitor, where there was one traitor, there were two, three, and many more.
I turned my head and looked in the direction where I knew these Spiders were. One by one, I looked in the direction of each slowly. It was difficult to feel their feelings with me surrounded by people, the crowd was large, but I noticed a sharp spike of fear coming from each of them when my gaze met theirs.
Ozpin didn't miss my actions, but didn't comment anything. He himself was also doing almost the same, just more subtly, even though the meaning was the same: 'Don't mess with us.'
The yellow dots representing the Spiders moving away meant they had understood the signal.
We didn't take long to reach the place where Ozpin said they sold good ramen.
"Traveling Restaurant." I read the place's name.
"Do you know how to read Mistrali?" Ozpin asked before his eyes lit up with recognition. "The stream."
"Yes, a streamer needs to communicate with their viewers, how would I do that if I didn't know their language?" I replied amused.
That was also why my ability to read and understand various languages didn't extend to Runes and Mystical Symbols, not even Weiss's Glyphs. None of these three were a 'spoken' language.
The stream was still a stream, and I was The Streamer. Talking to viewers was one thing, understanding Runes, Mystical Symbols, Glyphs was another.
Would I like the latter? Definitely, but the stream wasn't a gaming system or anything like that, for better or for worse.
"Why that name?" I asked as we entered the establishment, pushing aside the 'curtains' at the entrance to pass through.
The 'Traveling Restaurant' was a cozy place, almost entirely made of wood and with quaint decoration, with flower vases on the round tables where customers ate.
"The founder was a traveling cook. He had a caravan that passed selling and donating food throughout the continent, but every journey has an end, his was in Mistral, where he decided to retire, the name must have stuck." Ozpin explained with a certain nostalgia in his voice.
We sat on the chairs in front of the counter. We wouldn't take long, there was no need for us to take a whole table for ourselves.
"The guy seems like a good person. Strong too, or brave. Traveling across the continent selling food requires a certain mindset," I commented. "I imagine the Grimm back then were as aggressive as they are nowadays."
I noticed a woman behind the counter listening to our conversation. She appeared to be around my age, maybe a few years older. She had black hair and dark brown eyes and wore an apron over her clothes.
"Isamu was both. A man who wouldn't hesitate to fight to protect his people and tried his best to put a smile on the face of every person who tasted his food, whether that person could afford it or not."
"A good person," I affirmed this time, and Ozpin nodded in agreement.
"Excuse me. I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. How do you know those stories about my great-great-grandfather?" the woman behind the counter approached and asked before seeming embarrassed.
"My apologies for my lack of manners. My name is Isami Sato," the woman introduced herself with a slight stutter.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Sato. I'm Ozpin, and my friend here is Devas," Ozpin took the lead and introduced us, his voice changing slightly as he spoke in Mistralian rather than Valean.
I could still understand him perfectly, as well as I understood the woman, Isami, but I could tell it was another language.
I nodded my head in greeting. Isami nodded back, but didn't pay much attention to me, focusing on Ozpin, who had continued speaking.
"I met a man who claimed to be related to someone who knew your great-great-grandfather, Isamu. He liked to tell these stories, said he was proud of his ancestor having known and walked side by side with such a heroic figure, I guess I ended up storing them in memory," Ozpin explained to Isami.
Isami seemed to believe this lie Ozpin had invented and nodded with a smile on her face.
"The same with me. I mean, not the part about an acquaintance telling the stories, my mother told me, who heard it from her mother. It's kind of a family thing, you know?" Isami rambled quickly in a cheerful tone. "I always found the stories very cool and heroic! My great-great-grandfather fought alongside the King of Vale, like, how could I not think that's awesome?!..."
The woman continued talking for a few more seconds before blushing and appearing embarrassed again.
"Sorry. I got carried away," Isami stuttered again. "I just… really like these stories… What can I get for you?" she asked, still red-faced.
I glanced at the menu quickly before responding.
"I'll have two Shrimp Ramen, one of them without salt, please," I ordered, choosing a variation written in both Mistralian and Valean. A shrimp ramen with vegetables.
Ozpin didn't even need to look at the menu to order.
"I'll have a Miso Ramen. With extra broth, please, and no corn," the man ordered. I could see recognition in Isami's eyes before she noted down the orders and practically rushed to the kitchen behind the counter.
"She reminds me of Isamu," Ozpin commented when the woman disappeared behind the curtains of the kitchen door. "He also used to get lost many times when he started talking about something he liked."
"The name is similar too. Inspired, perhaps?" I commented. Isami also wasn't a color, as seemed to be the norm.
"Probably. But great-great-granddaughter?… Time always passes faster than I can perceive," Ozpin sighed. He had said that the one running the place was Isamu's great-granddaughter, right? Isami had said she was the great-great-granddaughter.
"You know. I was reading on the way here, it was a book about Dust, but it ended up mentioning a name," I tapped my fingers lightly on the counter. "The name of a king actually, King Oz, of Vale."
"I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Ozpin replied with a slight smile.
"I'm sure it is…" I responded without believing a word of his. Ozpin being a king didn't surprise me.
A few minutes later, Isami returned with three bowls and placed two in front of me and one in front of Ozpin.
"Here, enjoy your meal," the woman spoke quickly before returning to work, casting glances here and there at Ozpin.
"Looks like you've got an admirer," I commented jokingly.
"I'm sure her looks are just out of curiosity to meet someone who knew Isamu," Ozpin replied casually, picking up the chopsticks.
I waited for him to put the ramen in his mouth before responding.
"Maybe. Or maybe she likes older men, the great-great-grandfather talk and all." I laughed and patted Ozpin on the back as he choked on the ramen.
"I don't seem that old," he replied after managing to stop coughing.
"No, but your white hair is something more commonly found in the elderly. The 'wise old man' aura must be one of the reasons," I pointed out. That's not to mention his actual age, he probably had about a hundred 'greats' before 'grandfather,' in Ozpin's case.
"Isami recognized something when you ordered your Miso Ramen without corn. Something to do with Isamu?" I asked, starting to eat my own ramen, the one with salt.
I can only say it was good. I wasn't an expert, but I knew good food when I tasted it.
"Isamu didn't like corn. Whenever he made ramen for himself, he didn't add it. I ended up remembering and ordering the same," Ozpin replied.
It was out of nostalgia then.
"And you, why two bowls?" Ozpin pointed to the second ramen that I hadn't touched yet. "Very hungry?"
"No, it's for someone else," I tapped the pocket of my shirt. "Millia, are you still sleeping? If you don't wake up, I'll eat everything."
The green blob practically flew out of the pocket and landed on the counter.
"I'M AWAKE!" Millia quickly wrote. "WHERE'S THE FOOD?!"
I didn't even need to respond before she found the untouched ramen bowl herself and flew into it. Ozpin's look was amused and slightly surprised.
Isami's and everyone else who had seen Millia's look was just surprised, very surprised.
"She's part of my Semblance," I spoke aloud without directing the speech to anyone. Summoning Semblances were rare, but there were some here and there from what I had read.
Weiss's own semblance was considered a summoning too, since from what I read, the Schnee Semblance could summon the Grimm they killed.
Ridiculously stupid in my opinion. Was it hypocritical of me? Yes, but I never denied being hypocritical.
The surprise at Millia's arrival lasted shortly, especially after my words; only a few people glanced here and there at Millia a few times, but the slime didn't seem to care, too busy swimming in the ramen she was eating.
I'd probably have to pay for that bowl since I doubted the establishment would want it back, but oh well.
After paying the bill and Millia hopping back into the pocket of my shirt, we continued walking through Mistral, but this time towards Haven.
The walk to the academy was reasonably short; Mistral was smaller than Vale. As much as the kingdom seemed huge, it was because of how it had been built, among mountains and forests.
Before we reached Haven, a booth caught my attention by the roadside.
The booth was simple, like the others next to it; what caught my attention was the sign that said: "Can I measure your strength and draw it?"
"A Semblance?" I asked aloud when I saw the girl, probably around Yang's age, quickly drawing something on paper and handing it to the woman she had touched a few seconds ago.
It was a drawing of a wolf, not big or small, but medium-sized and with yellow fur. The customer seemed satisfied with the drawing and left after paying.
"Maybe. I've seen similar Semblances before. Want to go take a look?" Ozpin asked.
"Why not?" I shrugged and walked over to the tent. We were already kind of 'stalling' here anyway; losing a few more minutes wouldn't make a difference.
It was practically impossible for us to be ambushed, so our presence being known wouldn't make a difference. As for giving Lionheart time to destroy any clue or evidence that he was a traitor, well, it didn't matter; the Minimap would tell the answer, we'd decide what to do next.
"Good afternoon, Miss?" Ozpin asked.
"You can call me Mystia, the Magician." She blushed a little as she introduced herself, her 'mysterious' persona faltering with what was certainly a stage name.
I didn't react; that would only embarrass her. Ozpin continued as if it were normal for him.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Mystia. I'm Ozpin, and my friend here is Devas." He introduced us.
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ozpin, Mr. Devas. Welcome to my magic workshop." She stood up and gave a slight bow before sitting down and falling silent.
From the messages, (CHAT) had liked her, and so had I. She was fun.
Before the silence became awkward, I nudged Ozpin forward and pushed him a bit.
"You're the more experienced in 'magic' between the two of us. Why don't you go first?" Mystia blushed a bit at my words and seemed even more embarrassed when Ozpin sat in the chair in front of her.
"What should I do, Miss Mystia?" Ozpin asked. The amusement emanating from him confirmed he was doing this on purpose.
Mystia fake-coughed and managed to calm down a bit before reaching out her hand to Ozpin.
"Place your hand palm up and relax. I'll measure your strength and draw it so you can understand it without my gifts." She managed to say without even blushing this time.
The situation was amusing and got even more so for those who knew that Ozpin and I were among the only beings in the world with real magic, or the 'gift' she mentioned.
Ozpin did as Mystia instructed and placed his right hand palm up on the table. Mystia placed her own hand on top of Ozpin's hand and then the other on top of the first, and closed her eyes.
I could feel her aura starting to drop rapidly before gradually stopping after a large part of her aura drained away, and she opened her eyes and looked at Ozpin with surprise, admiration, and respect.
Mystia said nothing and began to draw, using both hands quickly to scribble, the drawing before starting to color it with colored pencils.
Whether it was part of her Semblance I didn't know, but she was talented at drawing. In less than five minutes, she had finished the drawing and written something on it before turning it to Ozpin.
The drawing was of an old giant monkey, the size of the mountains around it. I recognized Mistral because of the mountain that had Haven on top.
The drawing was detailed and almost seemed alive and real, the plants, the mountains, and especially the old monkey, who exuded a wise and gentle air, while at the same time being regal and ancient, but tired.
At the top, there was what Mystia had written: 'Wise, O great king.'
Ozpin stared at the drawing before sighing and smiling at Mystia. I didn't need to feel his emotions to know it was a genuine smile, but as tired as the old monkey's.
"Thank you for the drawing, Miss Mystia. I'll cherish it." Ozpin said in a gentle tone and put much more Lien than the actual price on the sign beside it.
Mystia hesitated upon seeing the Lien, but took it when Ozpin insisted.
"Take it, consider it a token of appreciation for such a beautiful painting." It was all it took for Mystia not to hesitate further and pull the Lien to her and store it.
"My turn then, old monkey?" I asked playfully to Ozpin, who laughed and stood up, tucking the drawing into his suit.
I sat in front of Mystia, who still looked at Ozpin in awe. I placed my right hand on the table, palm up. I was genuinely curious to see what my drawing would be.
"I'm at your service, Miss Mystia," I said, bringing the girl back to reality.
Mystia blinked and looked at me, remembering I existed, and then coughed again, embarrassed.
"Apologies for my distractions. Come, let me measure your strength and power." She returned to the 'mysterious' persona quickly, even with the still turbulent emotions, and placed both hands above mine.
Again, I felt her aura starting to drop rapidly, very rapidly, while Mystia frowned, as if exerting herself.
At the same time, I felt her aura poking at me, as if trying to measure something. I didn't sense malice or ill intent, so I let her do whatever she was trying to do.
Suddenly, her aura stopped dropping, not like it did with Ozpin, happening gradually, but rather stopped abruptly.
Mystia opened her eyes and looked at me with confused emotions, before calming down unusually and starting to draw, not quickly, but calmly.
The drawing was simple, a white background, with a human silhouette drawn with my features, like a portrait, then she wrote something at the top of the drawing: 'Human.'
It was a beautiful portrait, with various details, whether it was the wrinkles in my clothes, the strands of my hair, or my calm expression, it was identical to what I could see looking in the mirror.
The 'title', so to speak, simple as it was, was also something that related to me. Frankly, I didn't know what I was expecting, but I wasn't disappointed with this drawing.
"Thank you very much, Miss Mystia." I thanked her and paid for the drawing in the same way as Ozpin, with a larger amount of Lien.
Interestingly, Mystia responded in a tired and slow manner, almost yawning.
"I... Apologies, these two drawings demanded more from me than I expected. I'll retire to rest." She stood up and waved to us before closing the tent curtains as I picked up the drawing.
"That... Was curious," I commented. Was she like this because of the transmission? Or because of my title? She didn't seem hurt, just tired. I'm sure she would have fallen asleep right there if she continued.
"Yes, quite a curious surprise. Miss Mystia has a rare Semblance, even if it's not as useful in direct combat, it's still something special," Ozpin chirped cheerfully. "Shall we?"
"Let's. We've lingered here long enough," I sighed and started walking, noticing in passing that the point representing Mystia on the Minimap had changed to green.
How curious...
[...]
"Ozpin, my friend, it's been a while!" Lionheart welcomed us at the entrance of Haven. "To what do I owe the unexpected visit? Has something happened?" he asked after shaking hands with Ozpin.
I noticed a few things when I laid eyes on the man.
First: He was a faunus; the lion tail behind him gave it away, maybe the hair resembling a mane too, but that could just be a stylized hairstyle.
Second: His emotions were opposite to his actions. He was acting calm, with a certain shyness, but he was relaxed.
His emotions were the opposite. Lionheart was afraid, confused, and scared. He had known of our presence for a while, of course; it wasn't a coincidence that he had met us at the door of Haven, but he didn't know why we were here.
That would have been enough to make me even more suspicious of the man, of course, if the Minimap hadn't already confirmed to me that he was a traitor while we were climbing up.
"Red," was the only word I said when Lionheart entered the Minimap's range. Ozpin's emotions were bitter, but he didn't show any reaction and just nodded.
Even when speaking to Lionheart, Ozpin didn't display anything negative on his face, which had a slight smile.
"Apologies for the lack of notice, my friend; some urgent matters came up," Ozpin looked around. "They're good news, but still, let's go somewhere more private."
"Good news, that's great! Come, my office should do." Lionheart calmed down a bit with Ozpin's lack of suspicion and chuckled. "Won't you introduce me to your friend?" Lionheart looked at me.
Even if I wasn't close to him, even if he was a faunus, I could still easily sense his emotions. Fear and suspicion.
I could see recognition in his eyes. He knew who I was, whether it was from the video on the CCT or for another reason I didn't know, but Lionheart knew who I was.
"Leo, this is Devas, the new professor at Beacon and a new friend," Ozpin introduced me before continuing. "Devas, this is Leonardo Lionheart, the headmaster of Haven, a great and courageous man."
The shame emanating from Lionheart was disgusting, with a 'taste' of blood. I had to restrain myself from spitting on the ground in disgust.
This false synesthesia I had gained was sometimes a bother.
"Pleasure to meet you, Leonardo. May I call you that?" I extended my hand to the man, who hesitated for a second before shaking it.
"Of course you can, it's my name, after all." Lionheart laughed, holding his stomach. "Pleasure to meet you, Devas; any friend of Ozpin's is my friend."
If he were, his point on the Minimap wouldn't be that color.
We followed Lionheart through Haven calmly, passing through some corridors and the main hall of the academy, where I could see a statue of a woman.
The statue of the woman wore a long, flowing dress, with both arms stretched upwards, holding the grand hall with her own hands.
The statue also had some ornaments made of gold. Two chains on her wrists, a chain-like belt around her waist, two earrings, and a tiara.
"Whose statue is that?" I asked. "Some ex-headmaster, founder?"
"No, it's just a decorative statue inspired by an old legend," Lionheart waved his hand. "Nothing too important, it was just created as decoration, makes the hall look nicer."
Ozpin said nothing and waved calmly before looking at the statue's feet. I didn't miss the subtle cue, but even without it, I would have noticed, either through my senses or through the Voidbag.
The statue had mechanisms underneath like an elevator; I could feel the magic emanating more densely from beneath it.
It seems I had found the Spring Vault.
Lionheart resumed walking, Ozpin followed him. I glanced at the statue for a few more seconds before following the two through the corridors of Haven.
We didn't take long to reach Lionheart's office; all the while, I kept an eye on the Minimap and kept my senses alert, expecting an attack that fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, didn't happen.
Sure, I could sense the Grimm inside Lionheart's office miles away even without the Minimap, but it was just one, and from the way it seemed to be inside a closet, a small one at that.
An observing Grimm? Or was it something used for communication?
As Lionheart went to the drinks cabinet, I nudged Ozpin and pointed to the cabinet where the Grimm was, simultaneously showing the text on my phone: "Grimm there, small, should I kill it?"
Ozpin just shook his head, denying, and made quick hand gestures.
"No. Perhaps this will alert Leonardo; leave it there for now."
If Ozpin told me he learned sign language out of boredom, I'd believe it.
I nodded silently and sat down when Lionheart placed the drinks on the table with three glasses. I looked around for a moment, noticing the dozens of bookshelves before turning to face him.
"Good news deserves a drink." The man exclaimed and poured the three glasses. "Here, don't deny me this. It's been a while since I had company for drinking, you know, Ozpin, if I knew being a headmaster would be so tiresome, I would have declined the job."
When the title 'Headmaster' was mentioned, Lionheart's emotions were bitter and angry for some reason. I said nothing and took the glass Lionheart offered; Ozpin did the same.
My instincts told me something was wrong; the Item Analysis confirmed it. There was poison in the glass, nothing fatal, at least not for Huntsmen and Huntresses; a normal person would probably die since I was sure this poison would paralyze anything that wasn't a whale for a few hours.
Aura could help; even a Huntsman would be out of the game for two or three hours if they drank this stuff. A paralyzing and odorless poison; even the taste was weak, hidden by the alcohol.
I discreetly pulled out a Purification Powder pill into Ozpin's lap, away from Lionheart's eyes. Ozpin didn't need an explanation to know why.
At the same time, I downed the entire glass in one go and drank all the alcohol. Ozpin took advantage of the attention and surprise of Lionheart to toss the pill into his mouth and then drink.
"Easy there, young man. A drink like this is meant to be enjoyed, not gulped down all at once." Lionheart advised before drinking his own glass, sipping the drink lightly.
"My apologies, here, get me a refill?" I extended my arm holding the glass. Lionheart hesitated before pouring me another dose, this time I drank just a little and slowly, as he had advised.
My tongue barely tingled with the poison; my natural poison resistance was high thanks to the Bezoar, my adaptation and regeneration also helped here. It didn't take five seconds for the tingling to stop, and even when I drank more from the glass, the poison did nothing but make the alcohol spicier.
Would it be a bad example if I started using poisons as seasoning?…
No one said anything for a few seconds, Ozpin having placed the half-drunk glass on the table, and Lionheart looking at us surprised and with growing fear.
As for me, I continued drinking calmly, even grabbing the bottle from the table and draining it, which only made Lionheart sweat more.
"Good alcohol, the poison gave it a spicy taste too. I'd give it an eight out of ten; I've had better." I sighed and tossed the bottle into the Voidbag.
"Why, old friend, why?" Ozpin sighed and asked.
Lionheart quickly realized what had happened but didn't try to fight or flee. His emotions were turbulent, a fusion of fear, anger, resentment, sadness, shame, and many other negative emotions.
I felt the Grimm in the closet react to Lionheart's emotions and become restless before calming down out of nowhere. If I had doubts that there was something controlling that thing, I didn't anymore.
I stood up and opened the closet, coming face to face with the Grimm. It was unlike any I was accustomed to; it looked more like a blood-filled balloon on top of a black stand than a Grimm.
"Apologies, but this conversation is private." I ignored the tentacles trying to strangle me and grabbed the 'head' of the Grimm, the blood-red ball, with my hand.
I felt something trying to 'connect' with the Grimm in a way more solid than the connection that existed at the moment. I didn't let that happen and squeezed the Grimm, causing it to burst into black blood and dispersed malice.
"You shouldn't have done that. 'She' knows your face and will hold a grudge." Lionheart said with pity and fear. I scoffed in disdain.
"Perhaps, but Salem is not something you should worry about at the moment." Just saying the name made Lionheart shrink, his fear reaching a ridiculously high peak.
"Why, my old friend? Why betray everyone? Why betray me?" Ozpin asked again, even more bitter and sad after seeing the strange Grimm.
"I didn't betray everyone, Ozpin, much less you, at least not before you betrayed me first." Lionheart replied before taking another sip of his drink. He must have taken the poison antidote before we met.
His emotions were more focused on anger and bitterness rather than fear at the moment. His face was also twisted into something ugly and enraged.
"You abandoned me, Ozpin." Lionheart said in an irritated, sad tone. "You said you would support me, that you would help me when you put me as Headmaster, and what did you do when the Minions appeared at my door? Where were you?"
Lionheart growled, something I would describe as a sick, tired, and weak lion.
"Nothing, Ozpin, you did nothing, you weren't here. What could I do besides accept their 'deal'?" Lionheart laughed weakly, sadly. "Nothing, again, nothing... I didn't want to die..."
"You could have fought, fled, asked for my help, I would have come as fast as possible..." Ozpin replied with a low, tired voice.
"I know, you would have run the fastest, flown with the Bull-Head the fastest, but that wouldn't have been enough. Before you even crossed half the distance, my corpse would be cold." Lionheart replied.
"So you chose to jump to the other side." I sang, I was the least affected here, the calmest. "Who scared you so much? Cinder, Tyrian, or was it someone else, perhaps Salem herself?"
Lionheart recoiled at the last name as before; he really was terrified of the woman.
As for who had come here, I had my guesses. Tyrian told me that someone named 'Hazel' had been sent on an important mission in Mistral some time ago, but I didn't know what it was about or why his 'Goddess' hadn't given him this mission.
I knew why now, almost certain that the psychopath would have killed Lionheart, something Salem also knew.
I had no idea who Hazel was, and when I mentioned it to Ozpin, the man said it was someone who should be dead, who had been declared dead years ago, a child who fled after his sister's death.
There was something there, perhaps revenge; Ozpin thought the same, saying it was his fault Hazel's sister, Gretchen Rainart, died, as he was the one who sent her on the mission where she and her team died.
But even if I knew, or at least thought it was Hazel who had come to Lionheart, I wanted his confession. After all, everything was being recorded by the stream.
"No, Cinder came to me afterward, it was another man, Hazel." Lionheart replied almost automatically. "He wants to kill you, Ozpin. Just uttering your name in front of him makes him lose his mind."
"I am aware of that fact. I will face my mistakes, as I have always tried to do." Ozpin was not surprised by the information; it was what we had expected.
"What's the price, Lionheart? What did you have to pay? What was your part in the deal?" I asked in succession, not letting the man think straight. His emotions were more tumultuous than ever at the moment.
Lionheart didn't seem to think much before responding. Frankly, the man seemed broken; of all the emotions emanating from him, shame was only smaller than fear.
"People, they wanted me to send Huntresses and Huntsmen on armed missions for Hazel and someone else I didn't know." That was the response I received.
The peak of anger that emanated from me was minuscule compared to Ozpin, who struck Lionheart in the chest with his cane, sending the man flying almost to the wall.
I prevented the impact by holding the man with my black hands, the Bone Helm appearing quickly on my face. It was better to avoid too much noise; a commotion would be something to be avoided here.
"How... How could you?!" Ozpin snarled. Anger and sadness combined in his emotions. "... How many? How many died because of you?" Ozpin asked with deceptively calm voice.
"Not... You're going to kill me..." Lionheart coughed, trying to break free in vain. I tightened my grip on the hands holding his body.
"How many?" I asked, my voice echoing with nightmare energy.
"How many, Leo, answer the question." Ozpin asked again.
Lionheart didn't respond, writhing with a furrowed brow.
"The whispers will stop if you answer." My voice echoed. "Tell me, how many died because of your actions?"
The fear of death moved the man, Lionheart remained silent even as I bathed his side of the room with nightmare energy, energy that I pulled back when Ozpin's Scroll rang.
"It's Qrow." He spoke when I looked in his direction. "I'll put it on speaker."
"Ozpin, it's everyone!" Qrow shouted and growled angrily at the same time. "Winter told me what's going on, I tried to contact some of my acquaintances in Mistral, none of them answered!"
"How many contacts do you have?" Ozpin closed his eyes and sighed.
"Fourteen, Glynda tried some contacts too, five more. At least nineteen, probably many more... DAMN! HOW DID WE NOT NOTICE THIS SHIT?!"
Nineteen didn't seem like a big number to me, but these were not students, but rather trained Huntresses and Huntsmen, the cream of the crop, all killed by a traitor.
And that's not even taking into account that it was only Qrow and Glynda's contacts; how many more did they not know? How many more had died because of the cowardice of one man?
"Being afraid is not a sin..." My voice echoed with anger.
"Not wanting to die is not a sin..." The shadows writhed, I contained my eyes on them.
My eyes glowed orange beneath the Bone Helm; I could see the reflection in Lionheart's fearful, shrunken pupils.
"But sending men and women into traps... To death, is a sin..." My voice echoed with whispers; Lionheart barely seemed able to stay awake as I withdrew my aggression.
"But your punishment is not for me to decide." I closed my eyes and sighed. It was not my place to judge or give punishment. I was a stranger, whether in Mistral or Remnant.
The right thing here would be to take Lionheart to be judged, with a judge, a jury, and then when his punishment was pronounced, to an executioner.
Killing Lionheart here would also bring unnecessary problems, even with the evidence we had in hand; it would cause waves, the death of a headmaster, for treason on top of it? The problem would be colossal...
"What is the punishment for such crimes?" I asked.
... But neither I nor Ozpin cared about that at the moment.
Let the stream be the jury, I will be the executioner; we had someone greater than a judge in the room.
"What is the punishment for Lionheart's crimes... King Oz?"
A king would always be a king. Ozpin looked tired, old, but when he straightened his back, the aura around him was regal.
"For the crimes of treason, murder, accessory to murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and many more crimes against the great kingdom of Mistral and its citizens, I, King Oz of Vale, sentence you, Leonardo Lionheart..."
Ozpin's voice did not tremble, his emotions did. Sadness, melancholy, and anguish.
"... To death."
[...]---[...]
Well, regarding the chapter, I delved a bit deeper into some things about Ozpin, some thoughts from Devas, and how he behaves, as well as Mystia.
I liked her character, I should bring her back in the future, probably in an Omake in the next chapters, where I'll describe what she 'saw' when she uses her Semblance, whether in Ozpin or in Devas.
Well, as for Jinn. She was supposed to appear in this chapter, but I had to push that back due to Lionheart and everything else, crimes, punishments, and all that will happen.
As for Devas. His Semblance will show up soon, it's something you'll probably like, or maybe not, I liked it and it's not something overpowered and idiotic, at least not at first...
Finally, have a good night and happy reading!