19
A tapping sound on the wooden part of my desk traveled around my office as I kept tapping on it with my metal finger.
Salem had an account on the HTO forum. That was an...
Interesting find, at first, I didn't believe it, but after replying to her message, I'm sure it is her, just like the O was Ozpin.
Was that mistake? Maybe, I can see Ozpin wanting to know what I'm doing in shitposting against Salem, of all people.
But the thing was that after getting access to HTO through the call to their moderators, so I could see Salem's history and all messages.
She wasn't...
What I expected, do not take me wrong, she is still an enormous cunt. The arrogance and aloofness just radiated from each message, private, public, or not. All radiated her view of her superiority.
But then I thought, why not? Thanks to my more Earthly life, I knew that one of the good ways to learn about someone is through making them lose their cool head, and so, I did something the previous Ironwood wouldn't ever think of and started shitposting against Salem.
It was interesting how many ways I learned my body could be dismembered or how much poison I could take through all Salem's threats and angry replies.
I even told my people to try to locate Salem's signal, to no end.
Not surprisingly, Watts being traitorous shit or not, Watt's capabilities were real. I bet that it was through him that Salem learned about Penny, as she welcomed her race, that A.I race to Remnant.
That said...
As Salem and I ignored Mod's warning and kept replying to each other with more and more degenerate replies to threats, I had a sudden thought.
And looking at the replies, I think I'm right.
To defeat someone, you need to know them first.
And so, because I had not full information from both my Earthy life or Ozpin's secrecy.
I tried to read the way Salem wrote, and it didn't surprise me how rich her vocabulary is.
Not surprising, as Salem is immortal, and stories taught me something.
It is that the worst enemy of Immortals is boredom, and so, I can guess that Salem, in her long, truly long life, tried everything to satiate her boredom.
From world pleasures, maybe. I don't know if Salem ever bedded someone other than Ozma and his incarnations.
But what I knew is that Salem probably mastered all fields of study Remnant had, had, and could have.
As even if she weren't as gifted as Watts, I wouldn't be surprised if she countered his talent with her never-ending time where she could study until she beat the talent with hard work.
And thinking of Salem's intelligence made me think of my own.
Or rather, my goals.
Salem needed to go, in any way possible, and Ozpin too.
Salem because she was a threat to humanity, just like Ozpin, but where Salem wanted to either conquer it or outright destroy it.
Ozpin's method, no matter how well-meaning, was much more insidious, he wasn't a bad man, but his constant meddling each time something didn't sit right with his moral compass stifled the progress of humans and faunus in this world.
But then came the problem.
When I thought of how to deal with Salem, I never thought about what would happen if I dealt with her.
As no matter how bad Salem or Ozpin was for the mortals of this world.
The true enemies were those Brother Gods, who were truly responsible for this world being as it is.
Salem and Ozpin were syndromes where Gods were the sources of human suffering in there.
Will dealing with Salem invite the gods back?
Salem was one thing, but dealing with Gods who weren't ever human and had too many alien thoughts?
At least Salem was once human, and even if she forgot, she knew more about human nature than these two dragon Gods.
And even if gods don't come once Salem is dealt with, what about Grimm?
Both me and Ironwood know that there are more dangerous Grimm, those of ancient nature or much higher tier than some little Beowolf.
Would Salem's absence release these gargantuan and ancient Grimms?
Would Salem's absence break the chains that held them on the leash?
Because I knew that if Salem wanted, she could destroy us all, yet she didn't, even if all she needed was to release the leash she had on some more dangerous Grimm.
This Shadow War is the sole thing that protects us. As long as it is Shadow war, we have time.
So...
I need to make sure it stays like this...
Was...
Do I truly wish to support status QUO?
I didn't notice how much my organic hand trembled at the realization of what I had to do to protect what was dear to me...
Just...
How powerless I'm...
------------------------------------------------------
"Finally came to great this old thing, hm?" I put a smile on my face as I walked into the room full of monitors that showed the health status of the woman in the bed.
"Hello to you too, Fria," I said with a smile, trying to hide the pain I felt inside me. The more Ironwood side in me felt pain at what I planned to do...
And yet I knew that the time wasn't on my side, and I couldn't play the long game, at least not yet.
"Hmm?" Fria, the current Winter Maiden, looked at me, and seemingly a glint of realization came into her's dull eyes.
"Ah, finally, I see. You found someone to take this burden of this old thing?" Fria said with a smile that brought pain to me.
I knew it was for the best, this world of Alzheimer's seemed to start to claim Fria's mind, and from what I read from the daily health checks, it just kept worsening.
"Oh, please do not make such a face. It is ugly on you, James." Fria said with a scoff that didn't carry any negative emotion in it.
As if she chided a child. Maybe I was one in her eyes.
"I do not know what you are speaking about." I tried to deflect her words, as they struck me deeply, Fria...
She was a loyal, fierce woman who filled all Atlas's conditions of a true Atleasian soldier.
And I wanted her to die...
"And yet you are still ugly." I released a sigh, a pained smile finally appearing on my face.
"I... I found a candidate, and I wish for you to speak with her." Winter...
Im sorry...
I just hope you are strong enough to carry this burden.
"Finally," Fria said with a smile.
The hands I hid behind my back trembled yet again.