The Kind of Evil-Chapter 437: Shared guilt.
Rasmus sat down, sitting across from Julius, his wife, Esmeralda, and Isador. The room was quiet, but the faint screams could be heard from outside the window, the screams of people from nightmares. It was too eerie for both Esmeralda and Isador, but for Julius, he only focused on the man in front of him.
"For centuries since the Great Era, this empire has been the face of Central Neva. But this empire isn't the only one," Rasmus said, staring right into Julius' eyes. "The Holy Nation was also the face of Central Neva. Both nations had the strongest bond that created this peaceful and prosperous continent. And yet, now the truth has been revealed behind the glory of the Holy Nation," he added and glanced at Isador.
Isador gulped and couldn't leave his eyes from Rasmus. The man that taught him about reality almost two years ago had become someone that the world recognized. He remembered that Rasmus wasn't that tall, his hair wasn't that shiny, and his eye color wasn't that clear and bright. He looked at Rasmus like he looked at a completely different person.
"The Holy Nation hid the truth, and you also helped them hide it so well. However, the relationship between the two nations is equal, which isn't logical when one knows the secret of the other," Rasmus said as he crossed his legs and leaned back to make himself comfortable. "The answer behind that equality is because the other knows the other's secret as well," he pointed out, his expression still flat and unreadable.
"In this scale, your logic doesn't work, Count Blackheart. I know the Holy Nation's secret, behind their sainthood origin and how they gain that ability to become a saint. You don't know my world at all, and you never will. It's not a shared secret or guilt, it's necessary that one must take the dark path for the greater good and the other will protect them for the future," Julius answered, his expression still calm and collected.
"You chose to protect the Holy Nation's dark secret for the future. You protect them because you don't know the world to find out about their secret? That's fear, and that kind of fear? That's not shared guilt?" Rasmus tilted his head with his brows raised, staring into Julius' eyes.
"As I said, you wouldn't understand because your understanding of my world is close to none," Julius answered, not even reacted to Rasmus' accusations.
"Don't spout nonsense when in reality that you didn't even protect the Holy Nation when they chose to reveal it. What did you do? You abandoned them, you pretended to know nothing. In the end, it's always about self-interest, the primal human nature, to survive," Rasmus added as he rested his arm on the armrest of the couch. "But again, I'm here to not argue with your delusion. I already have the truth about what's happening below us, the things that have been happening for centuries, the people you hide from the world," he added as he pointed down on the ground.
Julius still didn't react and maintained his calm expression. However, this time he didn't respond to Rasmus' words, his silence was different from before. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
After Rasmus and Rullein infiltrated and killed the ringleaders of the Wraiths, Rullein gained all the information he needed. The truth behind the cult and the Lord they worshiped, Rullein managed to get enough information to connect a lot of the dots. One of them was connected to Erglade's journal where he met a Zevrathi and behind their hidden identity from the world.
"Your empire has been keeping the Zevrathi family hidden from the world down there. It all started during the Great Era, however, they disappeared and their worshipers stayed down there," Rasmus said with a smile on his face. "But what I found it interesting is the fact that most of the worshipers are high-ranking nobles from your nation," he revealed with his brows furrowed and head tilted.
Isador was shocked in disbelief when Rasmus revealed the truth and the secret that the Sun Empire hid from the world. He didn't expect that the Zevrathi's family, the one that the Angelis family killed to gain the power of a saint was being protected by the Sun Empire. However, he couldn't understand how the Holy Nation killed one Zevrathi but the Sun Empire protected them at the same time.
"Wait, Count... I don't understand..." Isador raised his hand, still reacting like a student to Rasmus. "If the Sun Empire protected them, then why didn't they resent the Holy Nation from killing one? Not to mention that you said that both nations knew each other's secrets and shared the responsibility," he furrowed his brows.
"I have questioned the reason behind the Great Era for a while now, and I'm assuming they were at war because they knew something that the world didn't, the existence of the Zevrathis and the power they possessed. Of course, the Zevrathi family wasn't a righteous one because they chose to turn against Gods and made a deal with the demons after the world betrayed them," Rasmus explained but his eyes never left Julius'. "But it wasn't that simple, and so I assumed that the Zevrathis were being hunted by the Sun Empire, the Holy Nation, and the other nations that participated during the Great Era. When the Zevrathi were desperate, rather than fighting to the death, they chose to make a deal with the most powerful nations as the logical answer. That means, the Holy Nation and the Sun Empire," he added, reading Julius' expression that was still unreadable.
"Wait, does that mean the Zevrathi sacrificed one of them and gave the body to the Holy Nation so the Angelis family could become a family of Saints while the Sun Empire became the face of the Era and hid the Zevrathis from the world?" Isador said, finally connecting the dots from Rasmus' explanation.
Rasmus glanced at Isador for a moment before he averted his gaze so he could focus on Julius again. There was no need for an answer or a response because that glance alone was enough that Isador connected the dots like he did.
"Is that true, father?" Isador asked.
"Whether it's true or not, you already convinced with the truth you want to believe," Julius answered, staring Isador in the eyes. "However, even if it was the truth, that didn't change the fact that peace was made for centuries," he said and looked at Rasmus again.
"As I said, I'm not here to argue, I'm here to state the fact and to give you a warning, Your Majesty," Rasmus said with a serious expression. "The demons have sniffed out what your empire has hidden for centuries. They're coming, they want the Zevrathis. For what reason? I'm not sure either, but I know for sure that if the demons got what they were after, humankind will lose everything," he pointed out.
"Is that all?" Julius asked with his brows raised.
"That's all," Rasmus nodded. "Although, there's one other thing that I want to tell you," he said as he stood up and buttoned his suit. "Don't think that I don't know that you were the one who tried to assassinate my father during his mission because he knew too much, Your Majesty. You sent that Zevrathi to kill him but failed," he said with a cold gaze.
"And are you going to kill me now?" Julius asked with his head tilted.
"No, not yet..." Rasmus kept staring into Julius' eyes. "You're still a useful tool. I'll get rid of you when you're no longer useful," he said and lowered his head at the royal family in front of him before he walked away and left the room.
Isador looked at his father for a moment, couldn't believe that the Sun Empire was built on lies as well. He was raised, told, and taught to become a great emperor, but those words came from a hypocrite, someone who would do anything to maintain peace. It was as Rasmus had said earlier, that Julius was delusional, believing in righteousness by doing something dirty behind the curtains. He decided to leave the room as well and tried to catch up with Rasmus.
"Count!" Isador called, barely catching up with Rasmus who was already leaving the palace.
Rasmus didn't stop and continued walking while the Royal Guards moved aside and watched him walk through the gate. He didn't even look back when he knew that Isador was trying to catch up on him.
"Which is more important? Your own blood that has lived their lives deceiving people or friends that are trying to fight those lies and create a new world?" Rasmus asked as he watched the black smoke still covering the capital city.
"Friends?" Isador asked with his brows furrowed.
"Sooner or later your father will send you to the Holy Nation. At that moment, remember my question and ask yourself. Your choice will decide where the future will be," Rasmus looked over his shoulder as the black smoke suddenly moved toward the palace and wrapped around his body.
Isador collapsed to the ground like all the Royal Guards when they felt their brains were being controlled and forced them to kneel and lower their heads. Isador tried to fight it, trying to lift his head to look at Rasmus. When he did, he saw Rasmus being coated by the black smoke completely until suddenly the smoke dispersed and disappeared. Rasmus was nowhere to be found and the city was no longer being coated in dark smoke.
Isador sighed as he stood up, wondering what Rasmus meant by that and why he suddenly asked that question without waiting for him to answer. After pondering it for a moment, he decided to walk back inside and speak with his parents about the lies and the secret that they had hid from the world.
