Chapter 372- The Basis of Deception

The best liars are those who are telling the truth, with nothing more than a single detail added or removed that changes the entire meaning of the statement.

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"AGH!!! What the hell!?!?! Why are we going so fast!?!?! What is this thing!?!?!"

The time: Just after Oscar and Risa had left the Capital of the Sultinate.

The situation: The two drove through the desert at a velocity of 100 miles per hour. The windows were rolled down, and Oscar was sticking his head out the window, allowing his hair to fly rampid in the wind without a care in the world.

"The wind!!!! Stop!!!! Slow down!!!!"

"Are you gonna be a hero if you can't handle a little speed?"

Oscar revved the engine, increasing his speed further as he pressed a button on the vehicle.

The ceiling of the vehicle then retracted, completely exposing the two to the flowing wind.

"This is what they call a convertible. Pretty nice, isn't it?"

"Ububububub..."

The girl could barely manage to get out anything more than these words as the car rattled along the uneven dunes, bouncing the two up and down.

Oscar kept his cool, unphased by the bumpy ride as he further increased the speed.

"So? What do you think?", he asked calmly, glancing over to the girl.

She sat in her seat, her hands clinging desperately to it as she held her breath.

She clearly was unaware of the existence of a seatbelt, and held no trust in such a thing to keep her seated.

"W....what do I think!? You're.... you're crazy!!!! You're insane!!!! I should never have gotten into this thing with you!!!!"

Risa released her pent up fears and emotions, shouting at the top of her lungs to the point where even Oscar tilted away from the woman as he drove.

"Don't be like that!! Just relax!"

"Relax my ass! How the hell can I relax in this situation!?!?"

Oscar then let go of the gas, bringing the car to a slowdown.

He slowed the speed to around 45 miles per hour. The wind still blew in the faces of the two, but it was not uncontrollable like before.

Now the vehicle made it's way across the dunes at a reasonable pace, and Oscar turned to the girl to speak.

"You're a hero now. You should be able to walk faster than that. As a matter of fact, even if I were to push you out of this car, you wouldn't die."

"Wha!?"

"Of course, I would never do such a thing. I'm just saying."

Oscar looked over to Risa with a kind expression.

"Have a little more faith in yourself, Risa."

"Don't....."

Risa looked down, fidgeting with her hands.

"Don't call me by my name so casually."

"Is that all you want to say?"

"Mmm....."

Oscar brought the vehicle to a stop.

"If you don't believe me, go ahead and get out. Why don't we have a little race?"

"Eh?"

"Try and run past this vehicle."

"Run past it?"

"Yes."

Risa looked to Oscar with complete suspicion, unsure why he would ask her to do such a thing.

"Why?"

"You don't believe in yourself enough. I can already tell. You feel powerless, don't you?"

Risa's eyes went wide as Oscar made this blunt statement.

"I can tell. You've been surrounded by people who have the power to do the right thing, but don't. And you've been surrounded by others who don't have the power to do the right thing, but will try anyways. Isn't that right?"

Oscar looked Risa in the eyes with a completely serious expression.

"Isn't that why you don't trust anyone but yourself? No..... I don't think you even trust yourself."

"What.... what do you know about me?"

Risa tried to get up, but the seatbelt stopped her.

She looked at it with fear, trying to get out of the seat.

"Wha.... what is this!? Have you.... have you trapped me!?"

Oscar mentally rolled his eyes and it took him everything to not burst out in laughter then and there.

Raising his head, he faced the girl with sincerity.

The pure eyes of the girl before him were filled with distrust. She truly believed that Oscar was some sort of villain who had ensnared her.

"What are you talking about? I guess in this world you really don't know what a seatbelt is. They don't have these in carriages either I guess? Well, not that I use one for myself anyways."

Risa watched in fear as Oscar moved his hand over, only to click open the buckle.

"It's a safety measure. It's not a trap. It's meant to keep you from flying out."

"Then why weren't you wearing yours!?!?"

Risa quickly opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, on her guard.

At this, Oscar flashed a prettyboy grin, putting his hands behind his head.

"Because I like to live my life risky."

"You..... you..... you....."

The girl looked at Oscar with complete confusion and disgust, balling her hands into fists.

However, her look of anger and disappointment soon turned into one of sadness.

"I....."

"You can trust me. I won't hide myself from you."

"!?"

This statement cause the girl to open her mouth as if to say something, but she then closed it.

"I can't trust anyone."

"You're alone, aren't you?"

"So what?"

"You want to lean on someone, don't you? You've held yourself up all your life. If you want me to, I'll become the shoulder you can rest on."

"I said before. I can't trust you.... I just can't."

"Someone you trusted betrayed you, didn't they?"

Oscar looked forward with a sad expression, his arms still behind his head as he kicked his foot up onto his knee.

"I know what it means to be betrayed. And I know how hard it is to forget when something like that happens."

Looking over to the girl, Oscar saw that tears had come to her eyes.

She was trembling.

"What..... the hell do you know about me?"

"I'm the same."

The girl froze as Oscar said this.

"Do you know how I got here? To this world?"

"This..... world?"

"I think most people who have heard the legends know a bit about me. I came here from another world."

The girl glared at Oscar, still choked up with emotion and unable to respond.

"I trusted those around me. I loved them like family. I treated them better than anyone, and did everything to protect them..... but they betrayed me."

Closing his eyes, Oscar smiled bitterly.

"They murdered me."

Looking over to the girl, Oscar saw that she was stepping back, her mouth agape.

"You..... were murdered?"

"I was murdered. By the people I loved and trusted the most."

Oscar of course spoke of the women he was dating simultaneously, however he kept that detail to himself.

"I'll say it again. I know what it means to be betrayed."

Risa looked around nervously, however they were in the middle of a desert.

There was nobody to turn to for a second opinion.

Of course, even if there was, Risa would not trust them.

However, she felt that there was truth behind the words of the man before her.

There was something within her that told her, as if a voice spoke into her mind.

'I can trust him.'

"I can't trust you."

Looking away, Risa bit her lip.

"But.... I won't not trust you either."

Risa resonated with the story Oscar told, feeling a personal connection.

They were the same.

That was what she felt.

"I'll.... work with you. We'll spend our lives..... saving people. And when that duty is completed....."

Risa looked up, unsure what to say next.

"Well..... I don't know."

"That's fine.", Oscar reassured with a smile. "Even if you don't know, that's fine. After all.... isn't that what it is to be human?"

"What do you mean?"

"You never know where life will take you. One day you're just sitting around doing nothing, and the next you're out in the world, with more responsibility than you can bear. But that's fine. Because you're not alone."

Oscar pointed to himself.

"If it's too much to bear, then just leave it to me. You don't have to trust me. You don't have to put your faith in me. That's fine. But don't take the entire burden for yourself."

Risa put her hand to her face, unsure how to reply.

"Alright...", she whispered. "Alright, I get it. I'll..... leave it to you."

"So? It won't be any good to have a hero who doesn't even know what powers she holds. Shall we race?"

"How far?", Risa asked.

"To Touchette."

"Alright."

With that, Oscar grabbed the transmission lever, revving the engine once more.

"Are you ready?"

Risa looked forward, a serious expression on her face.

However, Oscar noticed it.

She was smiling, ever so slightly.

"I'm ready."

And with that, the two were off.

"Wha..... I...."

Risa ran.

She ran, and fast.

Like a bolt of lightning, she took off at speeds that couldn't even compare to the vehicle Oscar drove.

"Oi oi..... she's probably already at Touchette. Where the hell did she go? Haha...."

Oscar accelerated, speeding across the desert without his opponent in sight.

"It's never felt so good to lose a race. After all.... I think we all know who the real winner here is."

----

Oscar drove along the desert, and soon the city of Touchette came into view.

The massive walls, the tower which resembled a certain French wonder, and most importantly- a beautiful young woman who was waiting with her arms crossed at the entrance to the walls.

Oscar drove through the desert and the woman came closer and closer, to which Oscar slowed the car down, swerving before he just barely stopped before the girl.

"Who are you!?"

"Why are you just standing there!?"

"I told you. I am the hero of this country. Quit pestering me, will you?"

The woman didn't so much as look back at the men who stood guard, questioning her.

"As if we could just believe someone without any proof or reason!! You don't look like a hero at all!"

"Gentlemen. Did you not believe me the moment I arrived?"

"Indeterminant!!"

The men looked over to see Oscar, taking a better look at his face as soon as he spoke.

"This woman is claiming that she's the hero and trying to get into our city. Do something about her, will you?"

"Gentlemen, I am not the type to 'do something' about a beautiful woman. Furthermore, she tells you the truth."

"Eh?"

"Wha...."

The men were surprised, but quickly came to their senses.

"Our apologies, hero."

"Please, go ahead."

They stepped out of the way, quickly opening the gates of the city without hesitation.

Risa walked in, flipping her hair with an annoyed 'hmph' as she entered.

Oscar followed her with a smile, and leaned over to one of the men as he passed through.

"Never allow me to witness you harassing a woman again."

He whispered this in a malicious tone, sending shivers down the spine of the man.

----

Later that day, the two guards who normally stood outside the gates of Touchette were found dead.

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The two entered the city of Touchette by passing through the checkpoints, which was simple for Oscar.

News of the death of the Senator had not yet reached the common people of the Empire's sector, and so there was not the slightest bit of chaos.

The two easily passed through the city, ignoring the people around them who clung and shouted out to Oscar.

"Indeterminant!!!"

"We love you!!!!"

"Please continue your work as a hero!!!!"

Oscar merely smiled and waved at the people, and Risa ignored their words of gratitude.

"Let's move. There is no reason to humor these people."

"If you want to play the part of the hero you have to inspire hope in the people."

"They can hope in you on their own. We have a job to do."

"I suppose so."

The two swiftly made their way through the streets and then exited into the Empire, where Oscar recreated his vehicle.

The two rode together all the way to the Capital of the Empire, and eventually arrived in the palace of the Emperor, where they joined with the others, and were now convened for a strategic meeting.

"Let's take a look at the obstacles we will face. The first and foremost is the hero of the Kingdom, Kyle Ruthobold. To put it simply.... he must be killed."

Oscar laid these words on the people of the conference.

As he looked around, checking out the faces of each person present, Oscar confirmed that there was not a shred of disagreement.

To Risa, who distrusted anyone and everyone, she had no reason to state something as naive as 'we can't kill him!'

To Troy, Darius, and possibly even Larios, Kyle Ruthobold was the man who killed their beloved Emperor- and this could not be forgiven, no matter who he was.

To Oscar, Kyle was the mistake of his life. The hero who had been raised into a monster, without proper guidance. Or at least, that was what the people believed when they heard the conviction Oscar held on the matter. The possibility that he had purposely raised Kyle to do such things never even crossed the minds of the people.

The only other people present were the subordinates of Darius and the man who sat at the side of Troy. Oscar assumed they felt the same way as the men they served.

"No objections then?"

None were had.

"That makes things all the simpler then. In order to take this hero down, we must first attract his attention. To be completely honest, I am unsure as to how he will react..... but I believe that a direct attack will likely attract his attention. Since the net goal in this campaign is complete annexation of the Kingdom, we will mount this campaign with that intention, and as a result we will likely attract the hero to us."

The men nodded in agreement.

"I see that you are an interesting man, Indeterminant.", Larios stated. "You hold no enmity for the gears of war?"

"I believe firmly that the Kingdom is in a state of chaos, and that the people are suffering greatly under the rule of Kyle Ruthobold. Only through our intervention can we save the people from that man."

Oscar replied to the question with a prepared answer.

"To put it simply.... while I am an advocate of peace, I cannot be satisfied with a broken and twisted peace where the people suffer underneath a dictator."

The man nodded with a sly smile, folding his hands.

"I see... then, continue."

With a nod, Oscar turned to the two heroes at his sides.

"It is the responsibility of you two to work together and take this hero on. I will support you, however I cannot do much in terms of..... direct battle. However, with two heroes on one, we won't have to worry about the outcome."

Looking forward, Oscar spoke with confidence.

"If you two are able to master your powers and work in synchronization, without a doubt we will come out victorious."

"So I have to work with him?"

Risa seemed to glance over to Troy, eyeballing him.

"Yes. After all, you two are fellow heroes."

"Fine. I will work with him. But if he pulls any strange moves, I won't hesitate to abandon him."

"You certainly don't trust anyone.", Troy stated. "It's not that I don't understand, but we're supposed to be working together for the same goal here."

Looking up to Oscar, Troy voiced his concerns.

"Is this really alright?"

"She'll warm up to you. Don't worry about it. She's just a pushover."

"I am not!!"

"See?"

Oscar joked around with Risa, invoking a flustered expression.

"Ahem..... with that being said, what will our roles be?", Darius asked.

"Yes, of course. The two legions of the Empire. You will act as our primary forces. While the two heroes will focus their efforts completely on the battle with Kyle Ruthobold, you two will lead your forces and take on the armies of the Kingdom. You two are the ones who are experienced in warfare, strategy, and tactical movements, so I will leave your own individual movements up to your jurisdiction. The path of the campaign, the cities prioritized, and the battlefields we fight on will be up to you two. It is on one of these battlefields that the hero will surely appear, so ensure to consider this."

"I understand, Indeterminant."

"Got it..... so my men are free to run wild as they please."

The two Legion Commanders responded promptly to Oscar's orders, nodding in agreement.

Oscar sat down, looking around.

"Are there any other issues that we should consider before discussing our movements?"

The men nodded no, to which Oscar lifted up a hand, typing into his command panel.

[/create map]

Forming out of nothing, a map came into existence, appearing on the table before the men.

"Very well. Then, let us begin."

----

In the Capital of the Ruthobold Kingdom, a young man sat on the throne.

Before him, a number of soldiers stood with smiling expressions. At their head, two soldiers stood.

These two- one male and one female- were particularly excited, unable to contain their smiles.

Lining the stands of the throne room were seven women, each with slightly different expressions and undertones. These women were all dressed up as nobles, however they did not carry the noble demeanor which one would normally expect.

For these women were prostitutes throughout their lives.

Standing by the side of the young man who sat on the throne, who wore a green beanie to cover his head instead of the crown which had been thrown aside, was a woman with long black hair, wearing the outfit of a maid.

She carried herself in a noble and elegant demeanor, opposite to those who sat in the positions of nobles.

On the other side of this man in the outfit of a butler was a man who had blonde hair which was cut short.

This young man too carried himself well, though he could not be compared to the woman who stood beside the man on the throne in terms of class.

"Mackayla. Ryan. I trust you two more than I do any of those former leaders of our Knights. I'm appointing you two to lead the armies of the Kingdom underneath me."

"Thank you, hero."

"It is an honor."

The two bowed their heads with smiles, grateful and in awe of the person before them.

They saw him as nothing less than a hero.

This man was Kyle Ruthobold, the man who had removed all nobles from their upheld positions, reversing the roles between peasants and nobles.

It was through his insane actions that the focus of the entire world centered on the Ruthobold Kingdom.

Many would call him nuts.

The nobles who he had uprooted made a point of doing so.

Yet the fact of the matter was, the people saw justice in his actions.

Kyle Ruthobold lived in a society where the poor and decrepit were born into suffering with no ability to rise up, and the rich would utilize their positions to the maximum, always invoking their influence on others.

Through his promotion to the position of hero, Kyle Ruthobold had taken a stance against such injustice, and an extreme one at that.

Therefore right now, Kyle sat in the throne of the King.

"So? You two wanna go get some drinks? Why don't we head to the inner city and see what's going on there?"

"Hero...."

"That isn't something a King would normally say or do."

"And I'm not a normal King. I'm a bastard, born to a bunch of whores. But hey, don't you think it's better if the King goes down into the slums of his cities, witnessing for himself the darkness of his lands before he makes some haughty decision from his throne?"

"It's for that reason that I put my trust in you, Kyle.", the woman answered with a smile. "No other King would give his people such consideration."

With a nod, Kyle stood up from his seat.

"Then lets go!"

With this, the three headed out together.

It was a strange sight indeed.

"I'll be back later, mothers! Hold down the fort!"

"I'll make sure nothing breaks down while you're gone, Kyle.", Irene said with a motherly smile as if she was merely watching the house while her son went out.

The three left together, leaving the people in the palace without a King on the throne.

The maid with black hair merely smiled to herself.

"Are you alright, sister?", the man in the suit asked with a tone of concern.

"I couldn't be better. How free it is to live the life of a servant."

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