Obfuscated Cynicism

"Unless you've been observing the devil for quite some time, in an attempt to succeed your scheme to murder Lord Yindas. Am I wrong, Head Villager Heerys?"

The unforeseen remark... out of the blue, out of the azure... was thrown to a man experiencing his early stage of his senescence. A face that wasn't supposed to be wrinkled, maybe the cause wasn't merely from his age which gnawed his life-span but instead the daily life pressure and the tension of a mind, as cold sweats were seen running down his wide forehead, proceeding to change the course once the nasal bridge on its way... moisturizing the cheeks before passing his oral commissure and dripping through his pointed chin, wetting the wooden floor. Many varieties of conditions that motivated cold sweats to produce itself even in low amount of quantity, but mostly be associated with the response of fight or flight.

Either run away or to get hurt,

Either denying the threat, or getting hurt for his vindication,

His body's response however, already showed the absolute answer...

Abnormally pale skin and high pulse,

Rapid breathing and dilated pupils,

Everything started by a muffled, anxious laugh... drowned in the shadowy corner of this cold room,

"With all due respect, Lord Kharys - The Holy Knight. Your discernment and divulgence would be illogical to say that I am the murder of Lord Yindas. It's quite an absurd statement, for I have no power to execute such a risky scheme."

Because the longer time passed and more the silence rolled to fill the gap in the void of the moonlight after the sudden, unexpected proclamation coming from the mouth of a figure many regarded him as an adherent of egalitarianism... the suspicion would only weigh more on the man's shoulders - a man known his name as Heerys who served as the village chief of a small settlement situated on the edge of the dense forest that happened to be the starting point of two important incidents.

No more fight or flight, for Heerys was unable to flight from this secure situation nor fight in his defense because it was near impossible to read the facial expression of the silver figure hiding beneath the thick silver helmet... let alone comprehending the content of his mind.

"You're right, Head Villager." bathed under the azure moonlight that shone his silver armor, Kharys began to respond, "You do have no power," while carrying his black greatsword, he approached the crucified family and stopping on top of cryptic syllabary of melted wax and proceed to thrust the huge weapon right into the runes until half of its stygian metal drowned beneath the wooden floor.

Such a foreign movement for the man's mind to comprehend. The purpose was unclear and seemed enigmatic and his blink became out of ordinary count per second as a result, waiting and watching patiently yet apprehensively to know on what basis did the Holy Knight dare to accuse him for. Regardless of what might be... the silver figure appeared dare to risk his eminence in sophistication instead.

"Did you know, Head Villager?" standing next to his embedded greatsword, Kharys began to voice his elucidation, "When the rune bonds are broken, physically changing the surface where its written. Just like the human's vein, 'bleeding' will occur because the circulation system of the rune's body that carrying energy is already 'injured' by a slight slash - following the theory, in actuality this runes should've been bleeding and spreading its wild energy around the room. It is one of drawbacks for using physical rune, instead of the psychic one."

Expecting a straightforward explanation, all of a sudden the Holy Knight explained a common knowledge used in many magic academies. Albeit his explication may seemed obscure and vague, as the end of this moonlight discussion may appeared dark... the end of this scarlet thread may be able to forecast, especially the man in the shadow who looked even more uneasy when the Holy Knight was about to continue his argument - As if the man hiding something no one should've been peeked.

"Here's the thing though," Kharys continued, grabbing and pulling the black greatsword from the wooden floor, "Light Piercer's ability is not only absorb all visible light to strengthen itself, but also absorb the very nature of magical energy. No matter how low the concentration might be, Light Piercer will always able to detect it by its starry surface which begin to twinkle."

The reason already spoken, divulging the classified fact of the relic in order to reveal another hidden fact that was trying to be buried deeply inside the mind of a man who was now looked even more agitated as his muscles were tremble and his cold sweat didn't show any sign to stagnate any time soon... because clearly visible under the azure light, the starry surface of Light Piercer did not twinkle, meaning the rune imprisoning the resting family was only a mere painting to begin with - a bloodstained painting which dedicated to the "not-self-aware" devil.

Yet the man insisted on fight instead flight - kept denying because if the reason was based on that only, it wouldn't be enough to drop the blame on him.

"So you want to say that the rune was not created by the devil - am I wrong, Lord Kharys?" Heerys smiled to keep himself remain calm and balance the serene inside his mind and body, "But for someone who just entered his old age and know nothing about the magical world but how to lead a small village on the edge of the continent... it's an impossible task for me. After all, if the rune was indeed not created by a devil or similar to its kin... there are still many possibility of the third party intervention who's familiar with this kind of thing."

Even if everything the man said was seemingly made sense, judging from his life history and prosopography... the possibility would come near zero because there was no support of knowledge and experience to execute the premise - except the external sources in which the silver figure believed to be his strong hypothesis. Moreover after in-depth observation throughout the room carried out by him. He simply found a thing or two that made him even more certain regarding the instance and situation.

"A book. There's a book explaining and describing that sort of things in here." Kharys calmly responded, destroying the head villager's refutation.

"I beg your pardon, Lord Kharys - but that statement is still quite absurd." unyielding to keep denying, the head villager - Heerys - never ceasing to keep defending himself, "There are thousands of book in this room only, and I know nothing about the content of each book. Therefore, how am I to know about the book in question?"

"Because Lord Yindas was observing this devil too."

Without being held, in a mere second, the silver figure coming back to attack verbally. This time however... for the desperate man, the hurdle reached the point of impossibility as a consequence of his own iniquity and error in reckoning.

Reaching his final deduction, the silver figure went on even it meant to interfere the man's rebuttal on behalf of self-defense - because anything the man might to say after the following cessation would be considered as obstruction of justice for perjury as well making false statements to officials which was now occupied temporary by the Holy Knight as an agent of order.

"You came to this mansion last night - in the witching hour where nothing but a starry sky and its moon." Kharys stopped for a moment to take a short breath while looking at the large window overlooking the dense forest bathed beneath the sky he lived up to today... at least similar to the night sky yesterday when the ritual happened, "Right... under the same sky as the present," he then continued, turning his silver plated face toward the anxious-looking man, "Living under the shelter of such a huge residence which only occupied by three individuals of a small familiy. Surrounded by nothing but groups of tall trees as muted eyewitnesses, the bait was unfortunately worked. Lord Yindas was interested in your offer and welcoming you to this room."

Nothing to say right now, for the head villager simply showed his dumbfounded expression beyond the shadowy corner.

"Then... this happened." Kharys continued, staring at the brutally crucified family whose pool of blood drying exposed to the radiation of the cyanic light, attending the scene of the sad end... both last night and tonight, "Everything went according to your expectation, finishing the whole family off was also included to take an advantage of that slight moment when the devil rising from hell. Given that you already knew Lord Yindas intention to build such accommodation in the remote place, you began your search for a book which could pass on the blame on the devil. The whole night was more than enough for you to find and prepare this whole ritual... that blood stain too."

The silver figure slowly turned, walking toward the window behind the desk, overlooking the front garden, "This window is facing the way where the sun rise, hence almost impossible for the two servants who came to this mansion long before dawn, to notice the blood stain. Except when it enters dusk..." he then turned his silver plated face to the large window in the opposite position, "Where the dusk sky emitting its last crimson ray for that day - a color resembles blood thus allowing it easier to be notice."

Walking away from the window, the silver figure tracked his path back toward the speechless man... only glaring at the Holy Knight with the intense and tense aura around him - as if he was trying to think an alternative way or words to diminish the unfavorable ambience for him.

"They came here on schedule, finding that the front door was unlocked yet didn't grow any suspicion because how safe and peaceful the environment surround it - no wild animals dare to approach the settlement, in addition to this place becomes quite remote... as stated by you." keeping his pace as he came near the silent man, Kharys found himself drowned inside the moon's penumbra as well, in order to obtain a clear view of the man's facial reaction as the deduction continued, "Two living humans in a large maze-like mansion surely leaving such many gaps for you to sneak out quietly without alert anyone after you stayed pretty much the whole night - sacrificing and preparing in a room where forbidden for anyone but Lord Yindas himself... leaving the rest of the scheme by itself until what you've just told me earlier."

"Q-quite a story, isn't that, Lord Kharys? T-that one sure sounds more make sense... if I really was the murder." the anxious-looking man - Heerys - showed an uncanny smile and followed by a halting speaking, "I maybe have been observing the devil to protect the village, but that doesn't mean I killed Lord Yindas and his family. All of those things you just said were only based a book that might be among these thousands. There's a possibility anyone from the outside also know about such knowledge because it can be found anywhere on the continent and using the exact situation to commit the murder."

"That's what I thought before, Head Villager. That's why I came here - to attest to the truth myself because I didn't want to believe another truth that the devil is innocent." the silver figure stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath as he putting his black greatsword on his large back - telling that it would soon meet its resolution... an anticlimactic ending, "Lord Yindas was a secretary of defense. His work was always related around arcane weapons and magical items, including this rune in this very room. The purpose of this rune is indeed to attract the demon kin by offering a human body. The removal of one's heart to be replaced by the wicked one by ripping open the chest - skin and bones. Crucifixion and drowned by blood of oneself. Everything is perfectly matched with the condition of the family and everything is written in that book. Sadly however, this book isn't your typical encyclopedia that can be found nearly in all libraries and academy institutions, for this kind of information is considered as classified. Moreover, it's more a form of scrapbook written by Lord Yindas himself from sources only known to him."

By that single clarification alone was already showed that such information and knowledge regarding this rune was hard to come by neither through academy nor institute, let alone public library. There's no way in the world for any common folk happened to come across such a book... unless someone who came into this room filled with thousands of books which containing similar knowledge and information.

And what the silver figure was about to say, would confirm that the head villager was once set his feet inside this very room, hence all the guilt fall upon him.

"And in that old scrapbook," Kharys continued, "I found the information regarding my other weapon." all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a bright white colored greatsword appeared in his grip - shocking the head villager and making him even more agitated, "I'm quite sure you're familiar with this artifact. A white blade, whiter than milk - one of the divine artifact shooting the divine light from the heaven. It's all written in that old scrapbook, making it also one of the most classified information."

Unable to even spit a word out of his dry lips, the head villager's face became pale, even the shadow was rendered helpless to hide the color by its dark appearance.

"After my fight with the devil, you mentioned the pillar of light - that was seen from a far - as the divine light, didn't you, Head Villager? For the layman standard who serves as an ordinary village chief, your knowledge is surprisingly quite vast, in contrast with your confession... because others villagers may refer the pillar of light as magic or sorcery no matter what form it might be, because it's easier. Yet you were without any hesitation referred it as the divine light."

How the tables now have turned, from his role as part of a victim to the prime suspect... the blurted words out of the man's lips that delivering the karma,

"Care to explain about your... 'sudden thought', Head Villager Heerys?"