Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Zigmund’s firm statement sent massive ripples through the conference room. The once cool atmosphere began to boil hot.
To cut off negotiations so bluntly despite a friendly proposal was not only impolite but also indicated a complete lack of intent to negotiate from the start.
“I’m a bit curious. If you were going to act like this, why even hold this meeting?”
Helios, who had been smiling subtly, tilted his head. Despite his ordinary smiling face, I could tell from our long acquaintance that he was colder than usual. It made sense considering his proposal was shot down so quickly.
“We are not here to discuss.”
Zigmund rested his chin on his gloved hand and tapped the table. His attitude was arrogant, but it suited him surprisingly well.
His violet eyes gleamed threateningly.
“We’re here to declare war.”
His unflinching voice was not just resolute, it was merciless. It left no room for negotiation.
“You can’t be saying you want to start a war just because you want something. Is that really necessary? Do you just crave bloodshed?”
El asked coldly. His face, which had previously shown warmth, was now like an ice sculpture.
Zigmund let out a short, bitter laugh in response to El’s words, opening his hands wide.
“Maybe it is just that.”
I widened my eyes. Had this madman not only sullied my master’s name but also turned into a bloodthirsty fiend?
“More accurately, it’s for revenge.”
BAM!
Zigmund slammed his hands on the table. The table cracked slightly but was enough to focus everyone’s attention. With all eyes on him, he twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Don’t you understand yet? We are not launching a war for profit; we’re doing it for revenge.”
Revenge.
It was a plausible reason, yet it was also the most gruesome and futile one. Nothing felt emptier than revenge.
Ah.
In the haze of the atmosphere, I finally recognized what I had overlooked.
Those who live consumed by something possess a distinct gaze. It’s the kind of look that is chillingly vacant but sparkles with light.
Zigmund and the Northern people all had that same gaze.
I could easily predict their condition. They were blindly obsessed with war.
“Does it not matter how many die just for the sake of revenge?”
Helios’s fingers, fiddling with something, sharpened into a glare. His deep blue eyes reflected severity. Any ordinary person would have felt intimidated standing before him, but Zigmund faced him without flinching.
“Just revenge? The Empire is so simple. Kill as many as you like, do as much harm as you want, and pass it off as the mistakes of the previous era. The North has lost so much because of the Empire and still has not recovered. There are hardly any forty-year-olds left in the North. It’s because the Empire made them into slaves or killed them back then.”
Each of Zigmund’s words had sharp edges, piercing through the air. He always felt frozen, but in that moment, he seemed to be boiling over.
Helios paused in silence before he spoke.
“Remember that if war breaks out now, the number of victims will surpass those harmed by the late Emperor’s misjudgment. Is it acceptable for innocent lives to be lost or hurt like that?”
Using a more conciliatory tone, Helios spoke as if trying to soothe Zigmund.
“And above all, the North’s oppression was not during your era.”
BAM!
Zigmund slammed the table roughly.
At the ignition of Helios’s last words, Zigmund’s expression started to blaze angrily.
“My father was conscripted by the Empire, and his fate is still unknown.”
The following words revealed Zigmund’s past, which even I did not know.
“My mother served the North as a ruling lord her whole life but was killed by the Imperial Army. My mother’s friend was sold to an Imperial circus, and her whereabouts are still a mystery. My uncle was crippled for insulting the Imperial Army.”
He recounted his horrific past in a chillingly cold and emotionless voice. His violet eyes sparkled with suppressed emotions.
“That’s right. The ones who actually suffered were the previous generation. But it’s my generation that bears the losses. Do you know how many children in the North grew up orphaned without parents?”
The hot air froze instantly.
No one could interject or add to his calm words. As an Imperial citizen who benefited from the Empire, one cannot ignore the sins of the past.
Helios appeared speechless, closing his mouth, while El made a grimace. I struggled to keep an indifferent facade, but I couldn’t hide the trembling of my lips.
This was the first time I had heard about Zigmund’s past.
‘So that’s the life he led.’
I suspected that Zigmund had endured hardships. Unlike someone born noble, his demeanor and behavior bore the signs of having come from the back alleys.
However, merely guessing and actually hearing it felt entirely different.
I looked at him with a heavy heart, as if crushed by a rock.
Though past wounds can’t absolve present sins, I could understand Zigmund’s hatred for the Empire just from his fragmented story.
“The people around me are already dead. Not just me, but most Northerners have lost precious things. That’s why the majority of Northerners support this war.”
The age-old hatred, stacked over time, could not be sidestepped.
That bitterness didn’t give way. To move forward, it had to be utterly destroyed.
Zigmund’s eyes glowed with a chilling light.
“If we do not retaliate through war, where do the souls of my brothers go? Who will relieve their resentment and fury? The blood of my brothers soaked into the land cries out eternally for vengeance.”
He twisted his lips into a bitter smile.
“Did you think there would be some grand cause or aim in our war? No, it’s revenge.”
With that, a profound silence enveloped the room.
War is irreversible. This was a fact I had accepted, but being confronted with it felt like a blow. This war was merely a revenge drama with no victors or losers.
The ones truly at fault and the ones truly suffering were mostly long dead by now, and yet the aftermath of their conflicts unfolded into a war.
Knowing just how hollow the end would be, I felt powerless.
“……Yeah.”
Helios, lost in thought, slowly agreed. I recognized the feelings flickering just out of sight behind his poker face.
Guilt and responsibility.
“I can compensate as much as necessary. Isn’t compensation and apology enough?”
Helios asked again. He was asking if they truly had to engage in this cycle of vengeance that left only scars.
Zigmund pondered, stroking his chin.
“In the North, we believe that those who lived courageously meet their end in the land of warriors called ‘Yorha’. However, those who died unjustly cannot enter there regardless of their bravery. The living must avenge the wrongs perpetrated against the dead before they can go to Yorha.”
I had heard of this legend. The honor-loving Northerners held entering the land of the warriors after death to be of utmost importance.
“Revenge must be paid for in blood.”
This ultimately meant they had no choice but to engage in war.
I looked down at the ground with an indescribable feeling. Discomfort gripped me, suggesting that deep down, I had been harboring a little hope.
While I struggled to sort out my confused feelings, Zigmund spoke again.
“Oh, there was someone I specifically summoned.”
His voice suggested he just now recalled it. It was clearly directed at me.
Quickly looking up, I met his gaze.
He still wore an impassive expression that made it hard to discern his thoughts. The reason for calling me was something I was merely speculating about; I had no solid answer.
‘Could he suddenly be planning to kill me?’
If Zigmund Hyde wanted to torment me, he could do so in ways I could only dream of.
I stared at him, tense.
With everyone focused on me and Zigmund,
He narrowed his eyes and smiled sweetly.
“Hello, Shushu. Long time no see. Have you been well?”
“What the…?”
His overly friendly approach was akin to that of a lover, and in an instant, I nearly spat out a string of curses.
Everyone watching gasped, and I glared at Zigmund in shock. I bit my tongue hard to avoid cursing, blood seeping out.
I swallowed the combined taste of bitterness and saltiness while quickly brainstorming.
‘What could Zigmund Hyde possibly gain by acknowledging me?’
Showing off our friendship to the Empire wouldn’t yield anything special, nor would it do much for the North. It was merely acquaintanceship with no apparent benefits.
Perhaps I was stuck pondering that for a moment. Suddenly shifting my perspective, I clenched my fists.
‘…Right. The problem lies with me being known as his acquaintance.’
As the leader of the highest rank in the North, his reputation would remain relatively untarnished. But I was suddenly an appearing mercenary, Mir. I had faced plenty of controversies when stepping into the training ground.
Though I quashed the opposition, it was only temporarily sent to the back. There were plenty waiting for even a slight mistake to forcefully push me aside.
If word got out that I was close with a Northern leader?
‘There wouldn’t be any good reactions. Most likely, rumors would spread about me colluding with the North.’
I would undermine my standing in the training ground, ruin Mir the mercenary’s trust, and play right into their hands—what a fantastic plan that was.
I barely swallowed another wave of curses.
‘How should I respond?’
I carefully organized my expression and pondered.
Feigning ignorance was the wisest move. I’d slap on a fake surprised face and deny any misinterpretation several times to avert suspicion.
That would definitely be the best way.
Zigmund’s violet eyes narrowed. His tilted head felt like a mocking gesture. That expression struck me as particularly irritating, and his gaze seemed to say, ‘Are you scared, kid?’ Of course, that was likely my personal and malicious interpretation.
I always tried to think rationally. But I also knew that sometimes, it was better to act instinctively.
And above all, to deal with a madman, I needed to be a madman myself.
‘Let’s go all in.’
I plastered a bright smile on my face, wider than Zigmund’s.
“Oh my, aren’t you Mr. Hyde? It’s so good to see you here. How’s your pet goldfish, Walter? Heard he was suffering from diabetes, any progress in his recovery? It’s chilly outside; I hope you haven’t caught a cold! You’ve always had a runny nose around this time, right? I’m also glad to see you!”
Yes. This time, it seemed I had managed to fluster Zigmund.