Jeci, Lynus, Raven, Annette, Thalen, Vida, Arlem, Helena, Bairan, Revant, Braham, Hao, and Illitis all found themselves on the upper floor of the Tower—a roundtable meeting room.
Each sat at different sections of the table, waiting, watching each other.
Bairan had summoned them for what he called a Pioneers meeting. He swept his gaze across them all and demanded that anyone with ties to Northern follow him. Arlem had hesitated, but Annette insisted he e along.
After a long silence, Annette finally exhaled and pointed to a green-haired bastard sitting on the opposite side of the table.
"I understand every other person here, one way or another. But that gutter boy—that wretched existence sitting over there—for the past nine minutes, I’ve been trying to figure out what the hell he’s doing here."
Bairan, sitting next to her, glanced over at Braham, a disarming smile plastered on his face.
Hao stood before Bairan could speak.
"We need him. If we want to build a nation, we need his resources, his experience, and his reputation."
Annette lowered her head and dragged a hand down her face in disappointment.
"Seriously? Aren’t we past that stage by now? Have we forgotten that this boy has mitted offenses that can never be forgiven—in any practical sense of the word?"
Braham frowned.
"So has Raven, and you aren’t pointing fingers."
Annette forced up a corner of her lips, suppressing her anger. She was about to snap back at Braham, but Raven stopped her and leaned forward on the round table.
"Indeed, the things I did were cruel and can never be forgiven. No amount of explanation can refute that. In fact, I don’t hope to be forgiven. I made my choice, and I chose the people who stood with me, who protected me. For me, that is my moral pass—what I should do. If I had to do it again to protect my... friends, I have no regrets. Besides, it might not be enough, but at least I was remorseful enough to want to pay for my crimes."
She glared at him.
"You, however, betrayed your friends. For what? Greed? A way home? Status? Power? Help me understand how we suffered because of you."
Braham’s face was even, his green eyes sharp and serious.
"And I healed your injured ones. I was a big reason why not so many people died on that ship—didn’t Annette herself tell you this? I don’t know what your definition of paying for sins is, but let’s be frank here. My payment far outweighed yours."
"Let’s say I had a hand in the destruction of Lotheliwan—which was bound to happen anyway—and many died because of it, which would’ve still happened anyway. Do you know how many more lived because of me? The ship might’ve made it to the borders with barely twenty people if not for me. And how did you repay your sins? You rotted in prison for a while and hunted monsters while growing stronger?"
He waved her away with irritation.
"Girl, spare me the hate."
The atmosphere went silent after Braham’s speech.
Raven frowned, displeased.
"The only reason you cared enough to get on that ship is because you had no other way out."
He tilted his head.
"Selfish? I suppose that’s difficult for someone like you to understand—because you jeopardized yourself to save hundreds so we could all go back home. You were the Saint of Humanity, who sought no gain."
He leaned forward and slapped the table.
"Cut the bullshit, Raven. We both know that at its root, it’s all part of a selfish agenda for self-satisfaction—to be able to live, to breathe easier with yourself, whether in suffering or peace. Why should we be called selfish when we act the same way?"
He pointed an accusing finger at her.
"You are the most hypocritical of all—the best liar. Not only do you lie to us all, but you also lie to yourself. I’ve never liked you since our days in Lotheliwan. I have my selfish reasons for hating you, but more than that, I detest people who act indifferent to their privileges, as if they’re above the law. You know what? I might as well leave this meeting right now because a rotten human like you is in it. Excuse me."
He shifted his chair and stood.
"Sit down, gentleman."
Bairan’s gentle yet threatening tone halted his steps.
Braham gulped and returned to his chair.
The Sword King smiled.
"It’s for reasons like this that this silence exists—so it can all spill out."
He breathed in and out, as if practicing meditation.
"You don’t have to hold it in. Just let it all out. Let the silence sink into your hearts and speak to you. If you still harbor malice that could hinder each other, it could cause grave injuries in the future. And when that happens, it’ll be more than one person’s responsibility to bear."
He glanced over at Revant.
"The Lord of Despair certainly despises shouldering the burden of other people’s failures."
Revant shot him a hostile look.
Thalen chuckled, then sighed.
"I guess I should speak, then..."
His body glowed and slowly began to shift into someone else. They saw light green hair cascading down his shoulders, long pointed ears, sharp golden eyes, and pale skin.
Arlem’s mouth fell open.
’I only see them in books!’
"I’m an Elf—in our native tongue, called Elvira. I and a few others are the last of our race. We sought refuge in this world a couple centuries ago when a particular Tyrant married our King and sought to resurrect one who should never be brought back. There’s little I can say, but a time may e in the future where I’ll need help from..." He hesitated. "Friends. I hope it won’t be too much to ask. And Rian knows all about this."
They all looked at him in silence, nodding in understanding, unable to tear their eyes from his striking appearance.
Then a rough, feminine voice shattered the silence.
"I think I might be in love with Northern."
"Huh?"
"What?"
Everyone turned to the person who’d just spoken—especially Jeci, who glared with murderous intent.
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