10 Under Suspicion (End)

"How could you say such a thing?"

I looked at him with wide eyes. Straight in the eyes, as I could feel myself pour in with disappointment.

Azrael heard my question as he turned his head facing me.

I was expecting he would glance at me with either a spiteful or dull expression.

'... Azrael.'

However, it was actually different from my expectations.

Azrael just stared at me and only answered me with a simple smile. But it was quite different. It looks a bit troublesome.

Although his lips smiled, his eyes didn't unravel the same feeling. They were telling me an entirely different story than what the lips told.

"It was harsh, wasn't it Dorothy?"

"... What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about reality."

When he said those words, I couldn't help but freeze in the spot.

He raises his hand towards me and slightly squeezes my shoulder.

I flinch a bit before I slightly glance at Azrael.

My eyes widen when I discover an expressionless face coming from him.

'... Is this the real Azrael?'

The way his eyes looked dead was something I used to see.

But now, there isn't a single smile attached to his face.

"The reality of Lucretia."

He immediately released my shoulder and turned around as he started to walk away.

What really surprised me is that he didn't even look back and just walked past Gray's lifeless body without a single glance.

I was still stunned by the awful sight. I looked down before remembering our first greetings to each other.

'... Who would have thought that this is how our first day of the meeting will end.'

-

[16 February 774/Present Day]

Azrael and I have already entered the execution building to witness Gray's burning.

'His body is still healthy and he could live another decade or more as a human in a peaceful kingdom. Truly unfortunate.'

I sighed in a sad tone as I emphasis what the true meaning of death by burning true is in this kingdom.

Death by burning is an execution method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of capital punishment, and many societies have employed it for criminal activities.

It's already hard to accept something like that. Especially if it has already happened twice right before my eyes.

First is my own friend, Chester Silas, and the second is the kind head butler, Gray Oswald.

'... It was unacceptable to me.'

Gray lost his life just because he violates a single order.

This is honestly laughable.

Azrael, who stood beside me, just blankly looking at the flames that were slowly eating his head butler's flesh.

Two days has passed since Gray departed from this world.

Now, today is the day that the Directive Knights will carry on their duty by executing him the same way they executed Chester not long ago.

I crossed my sleeve like I was hugging myself as I thought about the cruel side of this kingdom.

That everyone who violates the Directive Order will be executed by burning with no question or opinion given.

"... Azrael."

I started without looking at him as I kept my eyes on Gray's burning body.

"What is it?"

Azrael answered with a question.

It tells me to just get straight to the point.

"How do you know Althea Genetta Third Order? Why did you call her by her first name? What is Directive Special Knights she's been talking about?"

I immediately asked him three questions. Those thoughts have troubled me for the past five days. 

There was a small silence before Azrael opened his mouth to speak.

"... Althea Genetta Third Order is one of the Five Directive Special Knights. Coincidentally or not, we often meet each other on our path. That's when I start calling her Althea randomly."

After hearing it, I tilted my head in confusion when I realized they had met many times before.

"... Doesn't that mean she's your friend?"

"No."

Azrael immediately answered before continuing.

"... It works differently for Directive Special Knight. They are called 'special' because they have supernatural powers. At least, that's what people have thought."

"... If they have powers just like what everybody says, then what are they?"

"They're the form of the original human that lived before Directive Order exists. In which they have mana flowing inside them."

"... Mana?"

"Yes. I'm sure you understand what I meant."

I just nodded because I truly understood what he meant.

"But... I'm still confused. What is the difference between Directive Knights and Directive Special Knights?"

Azrael raised an eyebrow at me. He shook it off and answered me with a full explanation.

"Directive Knights are just everyday knights that will inspect citizens' belongings. Unlike the Directive Special Knights, they don't have any mana. Directive Special Knights are also 'special' because only five of them existed. In addition to this, what makes them dangerous because mana is flowing inside their body."

"So... Are they undefeated?"

"No."

My eyes went wide by the statement that came out of his mouth, giving me hope.

"It's possible to kill all five Directive Special Knight that possess mana. But, it is also impossible to do so without a planned strategy."

"Then ..."

Azrael stepped closer to me as he lowers his head to my ear.

"... You have to find allies that possess mana."

He whispered quietly as I stood there.

I was dumbfounded.

"What? Are you actually telling me to..."

He backs away from his position as he forms his usual playful smile.

"Yes. Just like I said."

"But I--"

"... Dorothy."

He hushed as he placed his index finger in front of his lips.

I was confused until I realized that we're still at the public execution that is filled with many people and glad that we're the furthest from people because of our status.

But after he explained that, I immediately understand the circumstances and his sentence about 'finding allies'

'So in conclusion...'

If the Special Knights have mana, then somewhere that we didn't explore yet, there is someone inside this kingdom who has mana as well.

'Thanks to the information, perhaps I can ask them to work for me and free this kingdom together.'

My eyes were hopeful once more before I glance back at Azrael.

"Dorothy, let me warn you about something."

His eyes turned sharp and cold as he turned his head towards me, locking my aquamarine eyes with his black ones.

"Don't get mentally attached to someone. No matter how comfortable it is with them."

I raised my brow.

".. Why?"

"We will not know if one day this person will do something stupid out of consciousness. That person could end up getting burned by the Directive Knight. If you will get mad or frustrated by someone like that, you might also end up like that person one day."

I stood there before nodding at his statement.

"I know. I'm aware of that."

Without him telling me in detail, I understand that at the slightest.

"You might get burned because of your own sin. So don't act harshly and think with that brain of yours."

"Yes. I won't do things that could cost my life."

Azrael nodded before telling me one more thing.

"Visit my dukedom today. I have something to talk about."

".. I understand."

With the end of our conversation, he turned back and soon, leave the place before the execution even ended.

I stayed here and watched until the very end of the execution.

When it finally ended, I spoke,

"I hope your death will not be in vain and give us a result, Gray Oswald."

I murmured under my breath and sighed deeply as I turned back and leave the area.

-

Just like promised, I visited the Revanche Dukedom again to talk about something I don't even know.

Now that the head butler is gone, the head maid was in charge to lead me to that room.

The waiting room where I was lead five days ago when I first visited this household.

My eyes slightly widen when I saw that Azrael already sits on his rightful seat and was already waiting for me.

When our eyes met, he ordered the head maid to leave the two of us alone.

She immediately obeyed as she slightly bowed before walking to the door.

When the door was closed, I walk towards the seat and sit comfortably facing Azrael.

"What do you want to talk about, Azrael?"

I asked which Azrael immediately respond without wasting another second.

"Do you remember the boy we saw in the basement?"

With that statement, flash memories of the snowy white-haired teenager with alluring emerald eyes that we encountered in the basement appear.

".. Him? Of course I remember. Now that you mentioned it, I wondered why is he inside the room that wasn't worth staying in?"

"His name is Cristo. His age is unknown. His birthplace is unknown. Even though it was investigated five days ago, there isn't much information about him."

"... Then, is there anything else besides his background? Perhaps why he was trapped in that room?"

"All I know that he's been locked inside that room for more than a year now."

"... What?"

Azrael lips curved into a satisfying smile.

"That's not all that was discover. What makes him more interesting is that he also possess mana."

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