"You are just so goddamn annoying!"

Maria stoic face changed into that of bewilderment. What did he mean?

"Yes. I was the one who murdered my best friend. It was all part of a big, great, but evil plan."

"What are you talking…"

"Let me tell you something, my dear friend. Do you know what I found out that day? When I was murdered? It's that I was never even supposed to be here. I was never one of the chosen ones to save this world."

Maria started to lose the thread. What was Syzoth talking about. If he hadn't been chosen, how did he get to this world.

"I told you long ago that the being that summoned me her was no god. Why? Because compared to gods, he was a rather kind one. And the number of benevolent gods can be counted on an amputated hand. No. I had a different mission. Do you want to know what it was?"

Maria didn't say anything.

"It was to clean up the mess you could create. How many times did you guys "accidentally" destroy the lives of innocent bystanders. And do you know why? The reason was me. And Gavin also. Do you know why all these fools still believe that you are these pure, innocent beings? That you never make mistakes? I was the one."

Maria's back started to go cold.

"I was the one who made sure that the bad rumors some people made remained just rumors. Never a fact. 

I bribed them. 

I made them fear the consequences if the other ones knew what they knew. I made sure that the lie of the gods that their champions would save them remained untarnished. 

Look around you, Maria. 

Why do you think these people in Eldertown still have such a high opinion of all of you? Even considering the fact that Aria, on of our own people, had fallen to temptation and excess?

Why does nobody think that we are just like them? That we are simply mortals that got a slight boost from a few gods.

I was the one who murdered the children of the families that started to worship the dark powers, something you refused. But did you know that because of this, the perfect image of the cohort would take damage after damage, until it would have become so bad, that the cohort would no longer be able to even enter a normal village without getting attacked by its inhibitors.

All those people who Leon, you and the others let go, people who committed the most inhuman crimes. You let criminals, rapists, slave-traders, cultists and other insane people go because they said:

"OHHH, please SPaRe me. I Was PosSSEssed! I would NEveR DO such ThiNGS On MY OWN ACcoRD! The EEVVil DEEviilled ONEes are to blame. I Am INNNNOCCCEEEEENT."

And you believed them. Every single one of you but Gavin, and myself.

You think that power corrupts people?

You are wrong.

Power never corrupts anyone.

Ever.

The only thing it does is that it allows people to do what they always wanted.

If a man that hates somebody really much, so much that he is willing to kill somebody, but didn't do so because of his fear of the consequences. But if he got power which made him no longer fear those consequences, you think he wouldn't kill the person he despises?

If a woman becomes jealous of her future sister-in-law, who is about to marry her brother, wouldn't act if she had the power to do so?

 

You think that a devil can just simply go in, and take a random vessel?

No. The vessel has to actively chose to become one. Or it just wished more power.

That is why we call them deviled ones.

They all either worship, or have a history with the dark powers.

I was the one who made sure these people got what they deserved.

But I NEVER murdered innocents.

And before dealing with somebody, I asked Gavin to look into their future to see if they changed.

This world is full of surprises, after all.

I agree that people deserve a second chance.

But if they return back to their old ways. If they never changed. Then they do not deserve that chance.

I am not some clown in a bat costume willing to let an evil clown cause havoc in my city, just because of my morals. I always made sure that all of them got the justice

You Dare sit here, and say that you make sure that I get punished. What about them?

How many of them did you let go?

How many of them did you trust?

How many of them did you allow to stab you in the back?

And how much did you think yourself better, smarter, stronger than them?"

 

On the last part of Syzoth's monologue, Maria got perplexed.

"What do you mean that I thought I was better then them? I never…"

"Look around you." Syzoth said.

For the first time, the fire mage didn't know what to do.

Was this a trick?

Another mind game?

She didn't know.

But just in case, she quickly looked around her.

There was nobody but them inside the bar.

And before her, sat the alchemist she was so desperate to find.

He sat there, and did absolutely nothing.

Except for one time when he watched at the clock from the right of him.

The clock's wooden casing was made from rich, dark mahogany, its surface polished to a lustrous sheen that gleamed like polished obsidian. The wood was adorned with intricate carvings and delicate filigree, depicting scenes of mythical creatures, enchanted forests, and celestial constellations. Each carving seemed to come to life, as if the very essence of the fantasy world had been woven into the clock's design.

At the center of the clock's face, a large, ornate dial displayed the hours and minutes, marked with elegant numerals in a script reminiscent of ancient runes. The clock's hands were finely crafted from aged brass, their tips shaped like delicate leaves, giving the impression that time itself was a part of the natural world.

 

But then she looked at the table she sat.

Upon that porcelain plate, adorned with delicate patterns of vines and blossoms, rested a succulent piece of meat.

The meat, a perfectly seared fillet, glistened with a mouthwatering sheen, its surface caramelized to a rich, golden brown. The tantalizing aroma of herbs and spices wafted from it, filling the air with an intoxicating fragrance.

The fillet was expertly carved, revealing tender, rosy-pink flesh that practically begged to be savored. Juices, trapped within the meat during cooking, glistened like precious gems, promising a burst of flavor with each bite.

A delicate sauce, drizzled artfully over the fillet, added a touch of elegance to the dish. The sauce was a velvety reduction, its color a deep, lustrous burgundy that contrasted beautifully with the pale meat. It clung to the fillet, imparting a harmonious blend of savory and slightly sweet notes, elevating the taste to a symphony of flavors.

Surrounding the fillet, an assortment of vibrant vegetables completed the presentation. Steamed asparagus spears, their green hues bright and crisp, nestled beside a mound of buttery mashed potatoes, adorned with a sprinkle of freshly chopped herbs. A trio of roasted cherry tomatoes added a burst of color and acidity to the dish, creating a delightful balance of flavors and textures.

 

Wait.

Why were there two plates with food on it?

Did Syzoth meet somebody before her.

Or did he…

"Did you really thing I would risk going here if I wasn't sure that I could leave this town? If you really thought I was that desperate, then you truly do not know me.

I would rather spend the rest of my life hiding in the dark continent, in the very heart of the dark forest, then let myself get captured by you idiots.

 

Did you think I didn't know that you let that cat of yours guard this place?"

 

"…How did you?"

She couldn't believe it. How could she have been so blind?

 

Syzoth snarled, "Hey, you stupid cat. Get out here and show yourself."

 

Then, just like that, Myz appeared on the table.

"I have almost mistaken him for Miz, one of Doro's lost pets.

Myz, if I remember correctly, is Miz's younger brother, and both of them once were Doro's familiars.

Then, on one of your birthdays, he gifted you Myz. 

When I saw him, for just a moment, I thought it was Miz. 

But then I remembered something else.

Miz is to proud and stubborn to jump into anyone's arms.

Doro and Roran were the only exceptions.

So if the cat before me was Myz, then it meant that you are also somewhere in here."