Глава 8

Kashchey... No, Kashchey. Absolutely not.

All that you taught me now weighs on my body, carved into it as scars forever. The past is behind us.

It's all... over.

Indeed... I must put an end to all you have brought.

All the ugliness and shame you cast upon me... will be my fuel. It will fuel my future.

Until I find you, until this world is liberated, I will never stop burning.

I will not deny you again, Kashchey. I oppose you.

Until all the wrongs have been righted and all our sins purged.

It will be done. Even if our end is the same, I will burn it all to ashes. Even if I burn to death.

How long have you been out?

Oh, I can't be bothered to count. I lost track a while ago.

But even if you run, you won't get away.

One needs a hammer to strike a nail. And if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Maybe now is the time.

Vina! Come here, please. I have words for you.

Alright, Dr. Kal'tsit.

Just a moment. One question. Are you ready?

I'm not sure. But I guess I'm ready whenever.

Your Majesty...

Here is the completed report on the incident.

—How did this happen?

Did one of the Royal Guards betray us?

Witte, give me an honest answer.

My chest is an unlit fireplace on a winter day. Only honest words will get my heart beating again, whether or not an unpleasant truth may break it.

No. Your Royal Guards would never betray Your Majesty. They will remain loyal to you until the world itself is consumed by fire, as long as you are the rightful Emperor of Ursus.

You and I both know those are but empty words. Would that the Guard did more than stand back and watch the old monster die...

Enough! No more platitudes, no more masks, I've grown weary! Witte, you are no fool. Tell me your thoughts! And look me in the eye as you do!

Where are the puppetmasters behind this plot?

Grand Duke Baikal, Deputy Marshal of the Third Army and Governor General Rosin, and Viscount Kerque.

Of course, I still lack the evidence to prove that they actually orchestrated the entire ordeal.

Further, when the Royal Guard went to hang them all in their homes. They found...

These traitors, lacking the courage to face their crimes and your wrath, they took their own lives rather than bear their due punishment.

Cowards... absolute cowards! Have they not even the meager courage it takes to stand trial?

They must have known! They knew that a trial would reveal their base desires, their corrupted minds, to all the people of Ursus!

And yet... now we will never bring them to trial.

True, Your Majesty. How regrettable that we must now keep this knowledge behind the curtain, rather than take it out onto the stage.

Even a stupid burdenbeast will do more than chew grass when roused.

Nevertheless, the Royal Guard disposed of their remains in the proper manner.

Their rotten corpses will dangle, stinking from the ceiling. No one will dare take them down.

Had their conspiracy succeeded, Ursus would have suffered another war, they would have seen their influence increase, proportionally draining the power of the Council... perhaps further degrading our cities.

We are most fortunate they failed.

Traitors! Death was too good for them. I should feed them to the Flesh Buthidas!

But... that would be a terrible thing. No. We can't do that.

Pardon me, Witte. I didn't mean to lash out like that.

We must not go back down the road of ruin. No matter how much rage I have for my enemies, I cannot exhibit such behavior.

You did not resort to them during the Great Rebellion. To this day, I feel that only a proper, blood-soaked threat would have stirred them.

Pure terror is the only language those who terrorize the innocent can understand.

Although I am personally opposed to such measures.

Unfathomable.

Must I resort to such ancient brutality, such poisonous traditions to stand against the ignorant?

And as these maggots seize the swords and shields of our empire, are even we left to naught but rot?

Forgive me, Your Majesty. I do not have an answer to that question. From a constitutional perspective, I am not your legal spymaster.

More importantly, Witte, is the legend true? Is the 'Deathless Black Snake' a malignant deity that cannot be slain?

And are there other such deities like it in our realm? What can we do to free our people from this tyranny?

Witte, we stand now in the light... surrounded by darkness! Can we use fire to illuminate Ursus?

Your Majesty, I must point to one fact. In recent decades, only the Duke of Kashchey, among all the Ageless, shows clear signs of involvement in these events.

And even after his death, we are unable to confirm her identity.

That tells us that the Ageless of Ursus... still fear you.

They fear you and your contempt.

Nearly a thousand years have passed since we overthrew the Hippogryph. A couple of dying monsters cannot stand against the might of the Ursus people.

Let them do as they will. They will fail.

We will find them, and we will destroy them. Your Majesty need not worry.

I hope it all proceeds as you've said.

What of the Infected situation? Any developments?

Your Majesty is overhasty. You acted too quickly to close the Infected mines the armies held in the northwest.

It may have been your hope to weaken the Army's supply reserves, or even show a little benevolence—

But as much as the Army opposes you, your people also oppose this. They fear the Infected.

It is unwise to go against your people, at this juncture. They by and large despise the Infected, and standing against the Army here could be seen as you standing against the people.

You lack the resources to pursue this course.

Even if it's the right thing to do?

Even if it's the right thing to do. This is to show leniency to the Infected by shoveling them into the jaws of hell.

It is time, Your Majesty. Yurodstvo has been waiting at the door for over fifteen minutes. I think you may want to see to him.

Hmph. Raving lunatic with his holy visions! I'll make a proper joke of him.

But before that, Witte, do you think we can do it? Can we make Ursus great again?

I don't know, Your Majesty. Now is not an appropriate time to answer you.

But at least you do not lay waste to the world as your father did. That is already quite good.

Talulah the Infected... hm.

Should you break the curse of the Deathless Black Snake, then you should be able to break through everything that weighs upon you.

I hope that one day we have a real chance to defeat the country of the last emperor.

Talulah?

You're doing a good service, standing guard in this weather.

I know it is what you want.

So you do. Until we walk out of this winter, my fire will keep burning.

(Sh. Quiet...)

(They're sleeping.)

(Oh, sorry. Shh.)

(They trained all day?)

(The kid with the dark hair looks like he could handle a bow.)

(But he'll need to grow a bit.)

(Then let them sleep. But...)

(I'm about to leave. I'm dropping the temperature too much. They'll catch a cold.)

(Sorry to bother you.)

(You didn't. It's just the one with the white hair... he's a light sleeper. If I don't sing to him, he has night terrors. I don't know what he's been through.

(Time heals all wounds.)

(Is your father still working on tomorrow's battle plan? He told me something about an Ursus Infected transport center.)

(He has to think carefully, keep our losses low. He always tells me to pay attention to that.)

(It's already so late.)

(I've never seen him sleep. Not once.)

(Heroes need rest too. The other fighters should've taken some.)

(Think of yourself before him. Who was that you reached out to a few days ago? Where were they from?)