Necessary Bias

Time's been ticking since the yesterday full moon, fitting itself into the ebullient flowing timetable. The azure moon's been long since hiding itself underneath the above ground at which a bright sunlight was shining upon.

Four homogeneous majestic white towers were guarding the greater, darker one... standing solid and compacted into the populated land as the location changed from the prior isolated place. Became the center of scrutiny and seclusion the darker tower was... where a private exhibition of the ancient group resided. Situated within the tower, a rectangular chamber and dashing lines formed a stained glass acting as its ceiling and dome... filtering the artificial sunlight from beyond and reigning down everything underside with its color full of heterogeneity quality.

Unlike some certain individuals whose robes having nothing but a color regarded as a color of sanctity and virtue, both heart and mind... either physique or spirit.

Standing atop the huge altar were those some individuals - summed up seven persons wearing nothing but white robes. The deliberate high ground was meant so anyone from the basis ground able to withstand and witness the precedence of those seven individuals whose name after the ancient affiliation called Sventas Council.

Even within their little group, the gap of supremacy seemingly still presence by the evidence that only three of them whose faces were being uncovered and free from any piece of white fabric, and heads which weren't hidden beneath the hood. Not to mention the privilege the three clinched and somewhat clung to it. Being able to stand on much higher altar yet having responsibility to listen to anything the reporter of theirs wholeheartedly, as well as having obligation to decide and ratify decisions based on it which mutualistic in nature for humankind if one was allowed to guess.

The unforeseen outcome was to be blamed, for the story apparently was the exact opposite of their dogma which leading them to repudiate the strange reality. The outcome of a story where the devil appeared innocent after being slandered by humans who took others humans life and future.

"Objection!"

Expressing his dissatisfaction the loudest was the eldest member of the top three. Speaking such a high volume surely require a wide gap between his saggy lips which had lost both its collagen and suppleness as it deflated with time - therefore hiding amongst the bushy white old beard. Yet... given that the required volume was such a high expectation, in order to voice his hoarseness over the ridiculous remarks of a silver figure who stood up straight before the seven white robes.

"Your judgment is remarkably fallacious, based on nothing but an old tale - an expired belief!"

Showing no willingness to lower his raucous volume, the eldest kept talking and earsplitting words towards the silver figure who chose to remain silent for the best, as the eldest's eyebrows furrowed in fury and stared shrewdly because of his own incredulity.

When one was too focused on the past deeds - either bad or good - the possibilities to abandon the likelihood the future provide, were much higher. Comparable with the current instance. Moreover when it was related to the most fundamental of wrong-or-right ethics... declaring the innocence of the devil in this present issue, it was the same as flickering a fire inside his blameless heart, even when the reasons weren't gratuitous and the evidences were exposed before the eyelids.

"Keeping body and soul together inside Sanctus River doesn't define one's sanctity, largely if the one we are talking about is that damned kin - who had nearly annihilated the surface and slaughtered every single soul. Have you forgotten that, the Scion of Holy Knight?! Bearing a pious name yet dared to deliver such a profane matter. Indignity!"

Despite the heedless remarks and his egocentric tendency to think of himself as irreproachable, the eldest member's reaction was quite comprehensible,

The painful agitation in the presence of the demons kin. - dread, fright, panic, terror, and trepidation. Even when such a feeling was significantly subsided over the past five hundreds years, the sin of kin they still bearing. Explaining why was with such a skeptical response as opposed to a rational one.

"Elder Et Tensint, please restrain the volume of your speech and diction. Cool down your emotion."

A red haired woman, standing in the middle and wearing the same attire, eventually forced to intervene in order to maintain the situation which appeared to become riotous if it left went on.

"We only heard his statements, hasn't yet his intentions nor suggestions."

The veins on his face began to sink back into the wrinkled skin, and the muscles became relaxed once he heard a light reprimand from a more prominent presence within them. The vocal folds of the eldest member - regarded as Elder Et Tensint - at long last had a chance to rest as it already became too raspy to be voiced.

"As a matter of the utmost importance, I mean no disregard to our codex - for it is written to shelter the land by oriented to equality as a way of egalitarianism."

When the ambience eventually became at ease, giving spaces and seconds for the silver figure to voice his contrasting viewpoint as the distinctive hoarse sound was ceased to be heard - yet the atmosphere of dubiety still presenced within the chamber.

"I present to you some news regarding what happened last night when I was undergoing the task of which the King mandated to me, clearly described to solve the murder case of Lord Yindas. And to my own surprise, the preliminary was proven to be false as the culprit himself had been manipulating the chronology and information."

"But you happened to struggle with the said devil, correct? Nothing was manipulated then. The premises were accurate as the first sighting report of the devil after more than five hundreds years was proven to be truthful." deeply asked the red haired woman, carefully staring at the silver figure's face despite it was hidden beneath the thick white metal.

"Yes, Master Yssqar, I did met and fought as well." the silver figure answered immediately, "It was quite a difficult fight, indicating high level capabilities and able to withstand the heavenly light emitted from the divine artifact, Milky Way. Yet rest assured, the devil is not a threat, for I have stated before that Sanctus River did no harm the devil in any specific way, given that our history told the otherwise."

No one seemed about to give a standpoint over this unexpected statement coming from the mouth of the most prominent individual who was also known as the ultimate devil slayer from a layman's point of view... not even the eldest showing a sign to overvoice his objection towards this profane matter - the seven white robes simply craved to listen carefully every words, phrase and intonation spitted, since none of them really have an ability to read the hidden expressions.

Therefore the silver figure wouldn't mind to continue his own standpoint,

"From this fight alone, I was able to draw conclusions one of which the devil is rightfully innocent in this matter as it's quite a special case of such a kin... and the other one of which I learned, would be the actual sinner, namely the Chief of Turtas Village. My primal priority was to find the genuine murder of Lord Yindas's family as the King mandated to me. Letting the devil escape, focusing to uncover the case up until he submitted himself, for the evidences has been revealed."

"And your final verdict?" the red woman asked once again and for the last time, wanting to know the final words of someone who seemed to have a high hope to this compelling devil.

"I suggest a nonviolent approach. Surely I don't have any rational reason to back up my suggestion yet, but I have good intuition about this intriguing devil---"

The silver figure, however, abruptly stopped his affirmation over his inane remarks when the exact similar word came out from the mouth hidden amongst the bushy white beard - the eldest council member.

"Objection."

Yet this time however, he sounded more calmed from the previous refusal. Able to control the volume of his voice as well as his senses of reality - what really happened within the humans community.

"Any reasons should be neglected when it comes to demonic beings. No compromise whatsoever, either survived from the purification of Sanctus River which is said having a toxic effect for a sinner or the fact that it appeared innocent. Because it was written in our codex - written clear by the ancestors who had gone through the Great War between Humans and Demons... to protect humanity from them at all costs. We are standing in the front line and should accept that fate with faith."

"Hence this suggestion comes in..." the silver figure argued almost abruptly, giving a bit of assertion nuance, "A devil made an appear after more than five hundreds years, moreover it's not some lesser types. It does not eliminate the possibility if there were any others demonic beings besides this one... maybe some are the survivor of the Great War. We can use this devil to unearth the required information in order to protect humanity at all costs."

Silence was one expected when the premises have been conveyed in tone with genuine rational phrases... when the merits were much more promising than demerits might brought onto the table, the council fell silence.

"Have you anything to say, Brother Et Veicigs?" turning her head and staring at the second youngest member of the council, the red haired woman at least wanted to hear others judgment before making a final decision regarding the situation, especially from this Brother Et Veicigs.

A deep black haired man, standing next to her left - one of the youngest member - only second after the red-haired woman - was the peculiar-looking individual because he had covered his eyes with his brown eyelid since the beginning... from outside perspective, it was hard to tell whether or not he listened, for rarely showed the visible expression changed even when he was struck by the unforeseen remarks which considered profane by his fellow council member.

What truly happened however, was the opposite. Brother Et Veicigs whose brown face appeared more calm, emitting the serenity tone with the absent of any facial hair, in actuality, had been listening the whole time and closing his eyes helped him to think and anticipate the end result which could be beneficial for both sides... excluding the devil.

When he eventually opened his almond-shaped eyes which were distracted by the sharp bangs, his black iris staring deeply at the silver figure and letting out his most creative possible exhortation.

"I am afraid that wouldn't happen, Kharys." trying his best to control his words and intonation yet remaining the informal manner when directly speaking to the unwavering silver figure, "Your suggestions, in my defense, sound rational and seems beneficial for humanity - encountering a devil who is seemingly easy to get along with... however, for the sake of humanity as well... the wrongdoer of Lord Yindas's family murder will be fall upon her."

"What? Why's that?" undoubtedly the silver figure would show refusal, "Head Villager Heerys has admitted all of his sins, to an extent willing to undergo the punishment prescribed by legal laws."

Brother Et Veicigs let out a short breath before satisfying his oddity towards this judgment, "You see, Kharys... without needing to be told, you already know the influence Lord Yindas possessed in the noble houses of Agarath. The news of his demise itself is quite phenomenal, coupled with the others rumors that the devil who served as the main role. Others member of noble houses expected this devil's head to please them after the lost of their most important figure. Wasn't that also the main reason why King Horik himself who mandated the task to you? Because it said a devil was the murderer - if they knew the bitter truth, one human's life wouldn't be enough, and since Turtas Village is also part of the Empire... ending Lord Yindas's life would be signaled as an aggressive act enacted by the Empire and eventually leading into another war between humans."

Kharys lost for words, rendering him silent between breath and time ticking, since he knew the movement of which the council was about to take... yet slowly to draw rather elusive conclusion - heavy feeling inside his chest, not from the weight of his armor however, but something else...

"That means the real murderer is never brought to justice?" he asked, yet wasn't bound to be the last question.

"One justice can be delayed for the sake of many." a black haired man in white robes gave the answer unhesitatingly.

"How about his psychology? I saw it firsthand - the guilt feeling that consumed him from the inside. If he wouldn't suffer from the law punishment, the memories of his victims surely would." Kharys paused for a moment as the pattern began to reveal itself... the crimson thread he expected to be emerge to justify everything that Sventas Council considered as healthy resolve of one problem, "I see... Memory Restoration. If it was the memories that made one's suffering, resetting it would be the best solution."

"As all things should be." Brother Et Veicigs confirmed his conclusion which also become the final decision of theirs, "The existence of the devil is a sensitive information to begin with and is required to be protected from being accessed by unauthorised parties. Only Sventas Cuncil, groups under its auspices, and a handful noble houses of Agarath that know about this devil."

"I agree with Brother Et Veicigs." the eldest member, gladly accepting the mutualistic approach which notably beneficial for both sides - the devil's side however was an exception, "We shouldn't involve the innocent resident of Turtas Village into our own problems by making this devil as a scapegoat, for it already bears the sin of their own kin above all."

The silver figure remained silent for the whole time after this evasive resolution as he came into a doubtful territory of which he was unsure if it was the right thing to do. Unfortunately for the outside observer and fortunately for him, the facial expressions were never seen... it was hard to tell whether or not he was shocking with this outcome.

Nonetheless, he simply couldn't deny, let alone defy anything which already became a joint decision.

"So, we come to the final section of resolution." the red-haired woman - Master Yssqar as the master leader of Sventas Council - began to speak a seamless integration of many perspectives into one verdict, "The accusation of Turtas Village Leader with this, is hereby lifted after undergoing Memory Restoration and in exchange... his accusation will be charged upon this devil in question."

The silver figure remained silent as usual, no notable remarks coming out from him as the voting process continued,

"Et Cetri, your decision?" Master Yssqar was then looked down, asking for the voices of the four covered faces and heads.

"We are supporting the final decision."

One heavy voice of a male person, representing the entire four was then heard.

"Six members are agree." Master Yssqar turned, staring at the unwavering silver figure once again to validate the compromise, "Here's the final resolution, Kharys Neveta. The order technically is still the same... it is to eliminate the devil on sight by any means necessary."