CHAPTER 5: PLAYING POLITICS

**Greg**

We remained for quite some time in that part of the desert where Lady Noir’s convoy was ambushed. Not wishing to take any chances, her chamberlain, Shevaun, wanted to recall the other demon soldiers they sent to search for me before continuing on to the city of Darkmoor to the east.

“…”

As the undead dragon, Rosita, was the only creature among us capable of flight, she was soon tasked to find the demon soldiers, along with her pilot and the captain of Lady Noir’s guards’ retinue. Meanwhile, the Lord Vitalis and his motley army of ghouls stayed with us—not only to ensure our safety, but to also talk to the demon princess of House Usarved about certain matters.

“First things first, Lord Vitalis,” she began in a high-pitched voice, obviously angry. “I don’t like it when you refused to lend support to my brother, and stayed neutral. You see, we never favored people whose interests lie only to themselves.”

“M-My apologies for that, L-Lady Noir,” the leader of the undead kept on bowing profusely. “My clan…I-I’m only thinking of t-their well-being. Yo-You know what things th-the ‘Knights’ are capable with, and they h-have made our lands th-their own. Wh-While we certainly d-don’t agree with them, the-their m-might are reason e-enough for us to leave th-them alone.”

“That’s why you ended up with your land taken under your rotten nose, you foolish ghouls!” Lady Noir thundered. “You’re cowards who thinks they’re still living!”

Kuh…I don’t like those words, even if it’s not pertaining to me.

“I-I-I’m re-really sorry, milady! Pl-Please understand that we do n-not like c-conflict; no one understands death more than our clan—”

“Are you saying that my brother and I are warmongers?” the demon princess of House Usarved repeatedly banged on the arms of her chair. “It’s not us who started this fight in the first place! Are you implying that we do not understand what’s going on, Lord Vitalis?”

“I-I-It’s not what—”

“Silence! I had enough of your lies!” she bellowed. “I will hear none of it. Your fate will be decided by my brother and—”

Well, to be honest, this was the first time I’d seen Lady Noir Usarved act that way. Back in Chersea, she was gentle and could be relied upon at times. In fact, I’m trusting her too much that I would become uncomfortable whenever she would leave my side, obviously to take her rest. However, this version of hers was kind of unsettling; it’s as if we’re dealing with a rich, spoiled brat, rather than a dignified noblewoman.

“…”

And so, I guess I should intervene on Lord Vitalis’ behalf. After all, I still had a debt to him and his clan. Lady Noir should listen to me, anyway; I just saved her life.

“Milady…” I whispered to her.

“Sir?” Lady Noir’s voice quickly changed from angry to gentle in a matter of seconds.

“Pwede ka makausap saglit?” (Can I talk to you for a bit?) I purposefully changed the language of our conversation to keep it private to others.

“Ah, okay…” she nodded and went with me to a relatively isolated spot, far from everyone else.

I could hear murmurs while we walked away, “That’s really the human hero, Sir Kuro the Commoner General! He’s even speaking the language of the old hero, Lady Cassandra David!”

“Can you understand it?”

“Not really. Only the scholars from the Conclave knew about it.”

At least it’s great that the people who could understand Filipino weren’t here—save for me and Lady Noir. In any case, I should use my ‘influence’ on her to convince the demon princess of House Usarved to be lenient with the ghouls. After all, I could fully relate to the reasons behind Lord Vitalis’ actions.

“Lady Noir, siguro ’di maganda na maging mahigpit ka sa kanila, lalo sa Panginoong Vitalis.” (Lady Noir, I think it’s not good that you’re too demanding on the ghouls, especially to the Lord Vitalis.) While I knew our companions couldn’t understand nor hear much of our talk, I still won’t take my chances. WE conversed in whispers, and low voices.

“Sir,” Lady Noir replied, “ginagalang ko po kayo, pero ibang usapan na po ito. Tinatanggal ko po yung pagkakataon nilang traydurin kami ng kapatid ko.” (Sir, with all due respect to you, this is a different matter. I’m just removing their chances of betraying me and my brother.)

“Naiintindihan naman kita, pero kase tingnan mo…hindi ka naman nila balak talikuran. Sadya lang talagang nag-iingat sila na madamay sa gulo kase hindi sila handang makipaglaban.” (Yes, I understand your point, but look from their perspective…they do not intend to betray you for the sake of it. It’s just that, they’re being careful to get involved in a conflict they’re not prepared to fight.)

“So, ano pong gusto nyong gawin ko? Hayaan na lang sila?” (So what do you want me to do? Let them be, just like that?)

“Patawarin mo sila, tapos bigyan sila ng kakayahang ipagtanggol yung mga sarili at lupain nila. Ang Panginoong Vitalis naman ay pumapanig sa inyo ng kapatid mo, kaya nga lang, takot sila sa pwedeng gawin ng mga ‘Knights’ sa kanila.” (Forgive them, then give them the ability to defend themselves and their lands. The Lord Vitalis is loyal to your cause and your brother, it’s just that, they’re afraid of what the ‘Knights’ can do to them.)

“Masyado naman po yatang maluwag yan, Sir! Hindi ko lang ho sila pinatawad, bibigyan ko pa po sila ng kakayahang mag-rebelde sa akin at sa kapatid ko?” (Isn’t that too lenient, Sir? Not only would I write-off their sins, I’d also give them the ability to rebel against me and my brother?)

“Yun nga yun!” (That’s the point of it!)

Lady Noir looked at me like I just told her the most ridiculous thing she ever heard.

“Ibig kong sabihin, patawarin mo sila at bigyan ng kakayahan ipagtanggol ang sarili nila. Yung problema kasi nila, dahil sa takot na baka may gawin na hindi maganda sa kanila yung mga ‘Knights’, at hindi sila makalaban.” (What I mean is, forgive them and help them defend themselves. See, the root of their problem is their fear of what the ‘Knights’ can do to them, and they can’t retaliate.)

“Sinasabi nyo po bang pagkatiwalaan namin sila, kahit na binigo nila kami noon?” (Are you suggesting that we trust them, even if they failed us before?)

I nodded.

“Hindi ganyan ang kultura namin, Sir!” (That’s not our culture, Sir!) Lady Noir insisted. “Kapag nagpakita kami ng awa sa mga ‘mas mababa’ sa amin, magrerebelde yan!” (The moment we show mercy to those ‘below’ us, they would start rebelling!)

“Okay, teka, hayaan mong ipaliwanag ko sayo yung punto ko.” (Okay, wait, let me explain my whole point to you.)

“Nakikinig po ako.” (I’m all ears.)

“Takot yung mga ghouls sa mga ‘Knights’, ’di ba? Magagamit mo na yun para maging pabor sa sitwasyon nyo ng kapatid mo. Paano? Dahil sa takot nila sa mga ‘Knights’, siguradong hindi na sila papanig sa mga yun.” (The ghouls fear the ‘Knights’, right? You can actually use that to you and your brother’s advantage. How? Because of their dread towards the ‘Knights’, you can be sure that they won’t side with those guys.)

“Tapos?” (Then?)

“Ngayon, ’di ba gusto nyong pumanig sa inyo yung mga may ayaw sa ‘Knights’? Isa na dun yung mga ghouls. Pero, kung parurusahan nyo sila dahil sa natural na reaksyon nila sa sitwasyon, syempre matatakot sila sa inyo at mas pipiliin nilang walang panigan kaysa sumali sa inyo. O, mas malala, pumanig nga sila sa inyo, pero may galit naman…mahirap yun kase hindi sila magiging katiwa-tiwala.” (Now, you wanted those who hate the ‘Knights’ to side with you, right? Among those forces are the ghouls. But if you punish them for something that is a natural reaction to their situation, of course they would fear you and they’d rather choose to remain neutral than take up your cause. Or worse, they would, indeed, side with you begrudgingly…which would make them unreliable allies.)

Lady Noir remained silent. Perhaps she’s weighing on the arguments I presented, which—though some of them were ‘worst’ case scenarios—I hoped would convince her. It was already a good sign that she’s wavering; all I needed to do was to push her a bit more to the side of reason.

“Uh, sa pagkakaintindi ko sa sitwasyon ng lugar na ito, pantay lang ang lakas ng pwersa ninyo ng kapatid mo, at ng inyong mga kalaban. At, hindi maganda na may nagagalit sa panig ninyo, lalo kung naghahanap kayo ng kakampi. Syempre, para makakuha kayo ng suporta, kailangan ninyong ipakita sa mga pwede ninyong maging kakampi na may pakialam kayo sa kanilang sitwasyon, at gagawin nyo ang lahat para ito ay maayos. (Uh, if I understand the situation in this place, you and your brother’s forces, and your enemies are locked in a stalemate. As such, having someone angry at you is not good at this point, even so when you’re looking for allies. Of course, if you want their support, you need to show your potential friends that you have a care to their circumstances, and would do everything to fix it.)

“Hmm…hindi ko po maitatanggi na may punto nga ang inyong mga sinabi, Sir,” (Hmm…I can’t deny that you made your points, Sir,) she sighed. “Siguro nga po, yun yung magandang gawin ko. Salamat po sa payo ninyo!” (Maybe that’s the good decision. Thank you for your advice, Sir!)

Taking a deep breath and seemingly sure of herself, Lady Noir went back to the ghouls. She asked the Lord Vitalis to stand, and proclaimed, “Ahem, because of the sound words of the Lord Kuro…err, Greg of Arles, I am pardoning your clan, Lord Vitalis.”

Though their faces had long decayed, every one of us could tell that the ghouls were jubilant after hearing Lady Noir’s verdict. Several of them even broke into impromptu dancing, which reminded me of that morbidly fascinating art theme of the late middle ages Earth: ‘Danse Macabre’. (1) However, the demon princess of House Usarved wasn’t finished just yet…

“Also, I would send a contingent of our soldiers from Darkmoor to help the ghouls defend their lands from the ‘Knights’.”

At that point, Lord Vitalis was overwhelmed with joy, and he fell to his knees, almost worshipping the demon noblewoman. “Thank you for your kind words and invaluable support, milady! Rest assured, my clan would always stand by your side from now on!”

“Ahem!”

“A-And also, your br-brother’s…yes!”

Lady Noir stared back to me. I think she couldn’t believe that my advice worked just as I intended.

----------

We set up a temporary camp a few distances away from the battle site (out of respect for the dead), while we waited for the rest of the guards’ retinue to return. The ghouls checked on the coaches, trying to determine what still worked, and what should be left for disposal.

“…”

The first carriage was a complete wreck; one look, and all of us could tell that it was beyond saving. The second one, where Lady Noir rode before, was filled with bullet holes. It could still be fixed at some parts, and used as transport, but the passengers would have to take the relatively unscathed third coach to reach the city of Darkmoor. As such, it was agreed that Lady Noir would ride the last carriage.

Now, as for the prisoner we captured…

“I hired those humans to serve as your servants, Sir,” Lady Noir revealed to me as we head towards where we kept the man. “I ordered Shevaun to get the best maids and menservants from the most reputable household services in Chersea. It turns out, those are agents of the ‘Knights’.”

“Hmm…if it is so, then imagine how deep they ‘infiltrated’ Chersea. And I’m sure they won’t make it if they don’t have humans in higher positions collaborating with them.”

“Indeed, I agree with your observation, Sir. In any case, I think that prisoner of ours can provide further answers,” the demon princess winked at me.

The man we captured, who referred to himself as ‘Ben’, had his hands and feet securely bound by a magical lasso from the chamberlain, Shevaun. Apart from that, his mouth was also gagged—not only to prevent him from killing himself, but also to keep him from uttering magic spells. And of course, there were four guards to watch him.

Just as we approached where ‘Ben’ was held, the guards forced him to stand, though Lady Noir stopped them at once. She just asked that his mouth gag be removed, so could answer our questions.

“I think you know what will happen to you for assaulting a demon noblewoman like me,” Lady Noir began. “However, I am merciful. You can keep your life, yes, but only if your answers satisfy my reason.”

“Yes, milady, I am aware,” ‘Ben’ replied. Although he was disheveled and knew that he was at our mercy, for some reason, he kept on exuding an unusual amount of grace and dignity fit for a nobleman. It’s as if we’re talking with a royalty. However, his eyes would occasionally throw a glance towards me.

“Who are you?” Lady Noir was direct in her questions, “And no, you can’t fool us with the name ‘Ben’; I noticed from how you move and speak that you are no commoner.”

Ah, so she also saw through that…

The man was quiet for a moment, as if he’s deciding on his course of action. But then, he sighed and said, “You are right, milady, I’m no commoner indeed. My real name is Umberto, a former prince of the Amaranthine Royal House of Benicci.”

“House of Benicci? Isn’t that human royal house extinct already?”

“You’re technically correct. My house fell to its demise in the hands of the von Alberts, long ago…and I’m the only survivor.”

“What do you do for a living, then? I mean, before you joined the ‘Knights’?”

“May I correct you, milady?” Umberto smirked, “I never joined the ‘Knights’.”

“Then what are you doing there? Why did you attack me?”

“Let’s put it this way. I may look like an agent of the ‘Knights’, but I’m not one of them. I was sent by someone to spy on those demons, because this certain someone knew the dangers those idiots could cause to his beloved Chersea.”

“You mean to say you’re a ‘double agent’?” I entered the conversation this time. “Who sent you then?”

“Lord Kuro,” he turned to me, “I believe that even if I tell you his name, you won’t remember a thing. You don’t even know me, even though you saw my face several times before!”

“Well, it’s true…but Lady Noir here can benefit from the information.”

The prisoner then laughed, “My apologies if I sound rude, but my duty concerns only the Lord Kuro, and not the demons.”

“You sound like you know him well,” the demon princess remarked.

“Know him? No, even better!” grinning, Umberto narrated, “We fought against each other before, during the Imperial War. See, I was the commander of the Imperial Legions, and the Lord Kuro is the general of the Human Saint’s Holy Coalition. You can say we’re well-acquainted, enough for me to respect his abilities. Unfortunately, the Lord Kuro’s memories are in a bad shape, or so I heard from some friends.”

“He was attacked in his school by some agents of the ‘Knights’,” Lady Noir revealed.

At that point, Umberto fell silent.

Well, not that I mind but, hearing that story from another person aside from my friends at the Holy Palatial Gardens, it’s kind of awkward and rewarding at the same time. I mean, though I couldn’t remember a thing that I did, my ‘enemy’ or ‘rival’ from that time was acknowledging my abilities. But, yeah, this was not the right moment to think about such things. There’s this one question in my mind that lingered upon seeing how Umberto reacted to Lady Noir’s revelation.

“You seemed to know something about that incident,” I told him.

“Of course, milord,” he admitted. “I know the people who planned that attack in your school. Their intention is to kill Her Holiness the Human Saint, and instigate a widespread indignation upon the humans of Chersea, enough for them to call for a war against the demons. However, you brilliantly foiled their attack; the only sacrifice is your memories.”

“Damn it!” I cursed under my breath.

“Ah, don’t worry much about that anymore, milord. If you’re seeking vengeance on what happened to you, those people are already dead, killed by you—and the undead.”

“Oh? So, if those guys are your acquaintances, then you must have an important role in that attack as well!” Lady Noir surmised.

“I’m a lookout for them, milady,” was his curt answer.

“Things don’t add up…” I muttered.

“What is, milord?”

“You said before that the demon you killed drugged you and the humans we killed. Now you claim that they are working for the ‘Knights’?”

“Yes,” Umberto never wavered in his words. “What I said is true; they are working for the ‘Knights’. You don’t know how many humans have been disillusioned by the Human Saint’s peace, and so they wanted to destroy it by working with the demons itching for a fight.”

“If so, then why would the ‘Knight’ drugged you, and them?” Lady Noir followed up on my argument.

“I don’t know the answer myself, milady,” the prisoner replied. “However, if I can offer my own explanation…”

“Please do.”

“Well, I’m guessing that those poor idiots died because of me. Idiots because they’re the ones who are fiercely loyal to the ‘Knights’ cause, while I’m fooling around with them. I highly-suspect that the leader of the ‘Knights’ is already aware of my duplicity, so he sent the Lord Themis to ensure that his orders—which is to capture you—are carried out successfully.”

“Successfully? By the way you speak, it’s as if you’re sabotaging their efforts.”

“Of course, milady! Remember, my master isn’t the leader of the ‘Knights’, and I’m only answerable to him. Why do you think that the Human Saint is still alive even though they used accurate demon weaponry against her at the Lord Kuro’s school? Surely, that can’t be the work of someone whose sympathies lie with the ‘Knights’!”

Lady Noir exchanged glances with me, perhaps trying to get some more answers to her question of whether this man’s words could be trusted. Well, honestly, I find his narration quite believable. Nevertheless, I’m not taking my guard down.

“Okay then, if what you’re telling us is true, then you must have something in your possession that you can show us as proof. Spies should be well-prepared for situations like this, where they are captured by their own, or neutral parties, correct?”

“Milord, I will not ask you to get it from my pockets; but if someone would frisk me, I have a medallion that will prove my words.”

And with that, Lady Noir signaled for one of her men to do what Umberto suggested. The demon guard searched the prisoner’s pockets until…

“Argh!”

“!!!” the other guards quickly drew their weapons and aimed it at Umberto. The demon who was frisking him retreated, holding his hand, which sustained a slight burn. I went over him to heal it.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Lady Noir demanded answers from our prisoner.

However, still brimming with confidence, Umberto just smiled and said, “Come now, I thought you’re looking for a proof?”

Then one of the guards used his sword to bring out a red medallion from one of our prisoner’s back pockets. Once it was out, every demon retreated a few paces away from it, save the Lady Noir.

Shevaun exclaimed, “Milady, this is—”

“Yes…” the demon princess’ face contorted, “…that’s the medallion of the demon race’s greatest enemy, the Saint of the Flame, Seirna Stephanie.”

----------

The rest of the demon soldiers were finally found and led back to our camp at the desert. The border guards who came searching with them were given a moment’s rest, before they returned to their blockhouse at the Chersean-Cherflammen crossing. The former Amaranthine prince Umberto was entrusted to them by Lady Noir, after he requested that he be returned to Chersea now that his cover was blown. Of course, as courtesy, she had him fix his appearance and was given new clothes.

“Are you sure you’re going to just let him go like that?” I asked the demon princess while watching the border guards and Umberto walk away.

Lady Noir simply nodded for her reply. I could tell somehow from her expression that it was a reluctant decision.

“While I nearly find no flaws in his words, I’m still having my doubts,” I confided to her. “After all, he has no reason to give an honest answer to our questions right away.”

“You just said ‘nearly’,” she pointed out.

“Well, there’s this part of his story that he knew the type of weapon that was used in the attempt to assassinate Her Holiness, though he claims he’s just a lookout. I mean, how can a simple ‘lookout’ sabotage an entire group’s effort, unless he’s lying about his role.”

“Hmm…I get what you’re trying to say. Although, Umberto may be lying,” Lady Noir chuckled, “but I cannot risk harming a man who is favored by the Saint of the Flame. That accursed witch in holy robes is the bane of my people’s existence; I don’t—as well as my brother—like to provoke her wrath.”

“He might’ve faked that medallion, don’t you think?”

“No, Sir, it’s the real thing. You saw how it burned my soldier’s hand; that is only possible because of Lady Seirna’s hatred towards us, demons. Besides, with how powerful she is, it’s difficult for someone to fake or wrest it away from her hands. Umberto had it because she gave it to him on purpose, possibly to serve as an amulet against the ‘Knights’.”

“Damn…so that man’s a dangerous one, eh?”

“Yes, you could say that…” Lady Noir stared at me, “…but then, we also got another dangerous human here.”

“Are you talking about me?”

She nodded, “I’m aware your memories are not right, Sir, but you defeated Lady Seirna before. I know of that story because my brother told me of your deeds.”

I kept my silence when I heard those words. Even back in Chersea, my friends would always talk about this certain ‘Saint of the Flame Seirna’ and how she raised zombie hordes in an effort to destroy Lady Rubinforth. However, this ‘Kuro’—my other ‘me’—fought against her and won, even managing to wound her by the neck. The story sounds so amazing…and honestly, I find it quite hard to believe. I mean, with how people around me reacted whenever her name came up, I could surmise that this Seirna was someone formidable…

Like a boss from that game, D*rk Souls.

“…”

On the other hand, perhaps my god-powers had something to do with how I—or rather, ‘Kuro’—defeated her. It’s the only logical explanation to that.

“Sir? You’re awfully silent again,” Lady Noir’s voice brought me back to my senses.

“I just remembered something,” I quipped.

“Right…anyway, we’re continuing on our journey to Darkmoor,” she told me. “You’ll have plenty of time to think about your thoughts on the way, so please get on the carriage.”

“Okay,” I headed towards the first (and severely damaged) coach, where they transferred the luggage.

“Where are you going, Sir?” I heard Lady Noir called out to me.

“Err…I thought you said we’re going to Darkmoor?”

“I did say that, but you’re my guest. I can’t allow you to ride that derelict!” she gestured to her chamberlain, who opened the door of the second (and least damaged) coach for her. “You’ll be with me in this carriage.”

“Oh…” I was having my doubts.

“Go on!” the Lord Vitalis pushed me slightly, “It’s an honor to share a coach with the prince—I mean, the princess of House Usarved.”

Lady Noir laughed, “You really are very much like our old hero, Lady Cassandra David! Not only do you speak her tongue, you also prefer having accorded the least privilege available.”

“Uh…it’s our culture, I guess?” Of course, my student and I came from the same world, so it’s an obvious fact that we share the same values and beliefs. What are these people thinking?

Author's Notes:  (1) The 'Danse Macabre' (Dance of Death) is an artistic allegory prevalent during the Late Middle Ages. It went popular specially after the event known as 'Black Death' where it was said that over a quarter population of Europe was killed in the Bubonic Plague. It is often interpreted as the 'universality of death', where kings, nobles, merchants, priests, and peasants all fall and die some time in their lives, and their social status is nothing but useless.

In art, it is often depicted as a group of skeletons often 'dancing' side by side with prominent people and commoners.