Chapter 14:

Questions

Kesel

"Mr. Kesil," said Klaus, waking me up. "It’s already 9 a.m. The soldiers said we have to go out for breakfast."

I got up sleepily. I was tired.

"Okay, I got it."

I was in the men’s bedroom with Klaus. The girls were together in another room.

I put my hand on my face and remembered our final conversation before invading the ship.

"So that’s how we’ll do it, you understand?" I asked.
"Yes," they all said.

"But why do you think the idea of releasing prisoners is not viable? If we can get in there—"

"It’s too risky, Wini!" said Megan. "It’s just another unnecessary danger."

"But these people, they were enslaved and taken captive by the Empire in a cruel way. We know what will happen to them. Don’t you feel sorry for them?" she questioned.

"I understand that you are sad about this whole situation, but trying something like saving them won’t improve anything. You seem to be looking for some sense in what’s going on, but what you want to do is pure chaos. You’ll only lose out with it. These people aren’t your problem, nor ours."

"Funny, you don’t act much like a person my father would trust," said Wini, upset at the answer.

"Did you change your mind about trusting me?" I replied with a smile.

"No way, I know you’ll do what we agreed," she replied confidently. "However, you respond to things as a very negative and hopeless person sometimes."

"Negative and hopeless, you say..." I replied. “Well, it’s because the world is really like that.”

"I disagree with you..." she replied breathlessly.

I smiled.

"You are like your father," I said. "But, anyway, I specifically can’t help you with that."

"Why not?"

I turned to her and showed the Mora Empire symbol on my arm again.

"Because for me it is impossible to betray the Empire."

"Huh?!"

"This symbol, more than an identification, is a contract of life, like what I did with your father. My actions should not be done against the Empire. Otherwise, I die."

"If that’s the case…" asked Brigid. "Aren’t you a traitor for defecting?"

"Deserter yes, traitor no. I am considered a deserter of the Empire at the moment. In that case, my punishment can only be activated by an authority if there is a suspicion of direct treason. But this situation in which I find myself is rare. It’s a very bureaucratic circumstance to be more frank. I don’t know all the details how my execution would work if they knew that I am alive in truth, but if I do something directly against the Empire, I will suffer the consequences immediately," I explained.

"But what about what you did fighting the soldier before? That wasn’t considered treason?" asked Wini.

"No, if my conscience indicated that I betrayed the Empire, the contract would also activate. That was a personal, life-and-death circumstance. If fighting between soldiers of the Empire were always prevented, we could not even do simple things like train with each other."

Everyone was surprised except Lady Winifred, who wore a sadder expression.

"What I did before was not an act against the Empire. It was to survive, and the contract judged it a just action," I added.

"Does that mean you can never turn against the Empire?"

"Unless I want to die, no." I looked at the ship and said, "So keep in mind, if you enter the Mora Empire, the only thing you can do to combat these injustices will be changing Mora from within."

"I got it," said Wini.

"Why are you saying these things?" said Brigid. "Of course Wini won’t go to the Empire of Mora!"

I looked at her for a moment and replied, "I can only protect her to a certain extent, but if Mora knows her identity and that she is alive, they will go after her forever because of her Ability to imitate. In the end, it will be her decision whether she wants to live as someone else, serve the Empire, or refuse and fight until she dies... It may be that I don’t have another chance to tell you this, so Wini, know that these are your options, and you have to choose now."

She looked at me nervously.

"Also, as I said before, if you’re going to do this foolishness of trying to save everyone, don’t count on my help. If it is necessary to abandon her to survive, I will do so without hesitation, and the contract with your father will certainly favor me."

Now...

I opened the ship’s door and thought:

I hope that Wini got rid of this crazy idea of trying to save these people. She might put her life and even more people at risk, and even if she takes the blame for everything if it goes wrong, this is a problem that should be avoided. In fact, it should not be considered.

Well, she seems to be the type who wants to save and help everyone. I’d like to see how far she would go with that idea in a world like this... Especially with this potential of hers...

Anyway, this is no longer my problem, and she must have understood between the lines of our conversation. If she’s gonna do something, I shouldn’t get involved.

I walked through the hallway, thoughtful. Then someone spoke to me from the other side.

"Oh, I see you’re awake!" said Commander Valerius.

"Oh, Sir Commander," I said, bending down. "I apologize for waking up so late."

"Don’t worry about it. As I said before, you are guests, and I understand that you are worn out by what happened."

"Thank you for your consideration!"

"No problem. Thank you. You helped us a lot by informing us what happened beforehand."

"I’m happy to help. Is there any news about the situation?"

"Have your breakfast, then I’ll explain the situation. There is someone I have to introduce you to. We were very lucky he’s accompanying us on this trip."

"Who?"

What???

"He said that he is an acquaintance of yours."

"Known?" What is he talking about? I was in shock.

He touched my back and passed me.

"Yes, but before that, better go eat."

I went to have breakfast. There were dozens of soldiers in that great hall. When I sat down, Klaus approached and asked when he saw me nervous, "Any trouble? You seem nervous."

"No, it’s nothing," I said. "At least for now. What about the girls?"

"It seems that they went to take a bath after breakfast with the help of other noble women of Mora and their servants. It seems that they are expertly transporting an entourage of nobles from the mainland of Mora on the ship."

"Nobles? I see." I ate my bread and had coffee and went to wash my face. "That’s terrible if they find out what I’m really doing."

Wait, why am I thinking like that? If what the commander wants to present me is a nobleman I know, I can explain what happened to me and beg him to reinstate me. Regarding Wini, I did what I could for her. I saved her as promised. Now what she does depends on her. I will not violate the contract with the father. This is my chance to change my fate and be who I was!

To be who I was...

To be who I was?

I looked in the mirror in a hallway.

Maybe I shouldn’t do this… But then what should I do?

"You are there…" said a soldier approaching. "I was told to take you to meet one of our guests from the ship."

…

"Okay, we can go."

On the way, I experienced a mixture of emotions, as if I was about to be confronted with the need to make a decision that might change my life.

Who could this person be? Does he know me?

He opened the door.

I entered. Then I saw a Lord with large, wavy brown hair up to his shoulders, wearing noble green robes, looking out of a back window.

He turned and looked at me.