翁公在厨房和我猛烈撞击

Chapter 161 – Absolute Trust

Even with a mask covering his face, Lucas looked furious with him. Nikolai saw the shadow of the chained Sergio behind Lucas, and he knew that he had betrayed his trust once again.

"I am sorry," sincerely apologized Nikolai as his expression darkened. "I did not mean to deceive you, but I did what I have to do to survive. I cannot let you ruin my plan."

Nikolai grabbed toward empty air above his shoulders, and his scimitars appeared out of the darkness. Lucas looked at him silently, not attacking or trying to retaliate.

"I understand why you are so cynical, Lyle," helplessly smiled Lucas. "You don\'t know how to ask people for help, so you deceive them, and you think everyone is the same. You believe that everyone is the same as you are, untrusting and untrustworthy."

"I have seen enough of people to know that trust is conditional," Nikolai straightened his arms, and the scimitars looked like scythes. "This is the only way for you to get what you want."

"Nope, I will trust you."

"…are you an idiot?" Nikolai froze in place. "I lied to you, and I have no good reason to do so. Your plan works as well, but I don\'t believe it is the optimal solution."

  "Trust is not conditional," Lucas said as he took several steps forward toward Nikolai, standing in the scimitars\' reach. "I will trust you because I choose to trust you. You are a good person, and I will believe what you have to say."

"I can kill you with a single attack," slashed Nikolai, and the scimitar rested on Lucas\'s neck. "I used you until now to fight against the fairies and convince the princess. Killing you is the best way to get rid of any loose ends."

"Then kill me," said Lucas without hesitation. "I trust that you will not harm me, nor would you harm the person I love. Prove me wrong and kill me."

"All of this to prove a point about stupid trust?" scowled Nikolai. "I trusted people blindly before, and I ended up broken, physically and mentally. You are an idiot if you think that I will not attack you."

As his words ended, Nikolai attacked with his other scimitar and stabbed Lucas\' chest. The weapon pierced through his heart, but the man did not move.

"Stop!" shouted the archeologist with horror as she watched the weapon pierce his heart.

"You did not kill me yet, Lyle," said Lucas with a grin as he looked at his chest. The tip of the blade was gone, sinking into a pool of darkness without harming Lucas. Nikolai sighed before his weapons returned to his pocket dimension.

"You are a fool," Nikolai said with helplessness. "I will not change what I think about the world simply because you trusted me. I still think you are an idiot."

"I trusted that you wouldn\'t kill me, so why didn\'t you? I was the right choice. Kill me, Lyle. Then, your plan will work. You will use this tablet however you wish, foil their plans, and get rid of a hindrance."

Nikolai was silent as he met the green eyes in front of him. They radiated powerful conviction and unwavering faith, and a wandering thought settled into his mind.

Lucas\'s conviction about many things about how the world works, people, and his ideals were the source of his strength. All powerful people shared this trait of theirs, conviction. The green eyes that stared into his were full of absolute trust.

\'I want to break that belief of his and show him how the world works, but then… I would be the same as Lilith. I don\'t need to force my beliefs into anyone as she did.\'

A wave of relief washed over his soul as Nikolai realized this. This was the first rule he decided to impose upon himself: let others believe in whatever they believe in, as long as it does not harm him.

"I found out that the Fera Kingdom targets the princess. All of this was to set up the stage to prevent Vyxas from harming her. This is nothing but another step to make sure that their plans. She is a good person, and the world needs her to stay alive. I lied to you because I cannot tell you how I know all of this, nor can I trust you enough to tell you about my plans."

"I have no problem with your mistrust of me," he crossed his arms with a smirk. "I am satisfied knowing that you chose to tell me the truth instead of attacking me. This proves you care about our friendship."

"You need to be more honest with yourself, Lyle," the archeologist chimed in, waving her finger. "There is no shame in trusting people, nor in asking for help."

"You are not a part of this," Nikolai blinked his eyes at her. "I still trust you as much as I trust a stranger in the street."

"You…" the archeologist looked livid. "Youngsters these days have no manners at all!"

"How old are you, Taly?" Lucas asked with a laugh. "You don\'t look a lot older than we are, except for the tired face."

"I am in my late twenties," she huffed in anger. "If you two had any idea about my real identity, you would have been more respectful! I…"

"Are you going to do your plan or mine?" asked Nikolai, interrupting the bragging of the archeologist. Lucas turned to face him as they both suffered the glares of the woman.

"I will do what you ask of me," answered Lucas with a smile. "There is no way that the princess was sent here without investigating the Fera Kingdom, so I have a suspicion that it was an inside job. I don\'t trust the kingdom to protect her."

"And Master Edward should be absent for a while after what happened, so we are the only people that can do something about it. I have a plan, but it is a risky one with everything at stake." 

"You said that I have no part of this, right?" Taly interjected with a trembling hand. "I guess this is farewell then, haha," she sheepishly laughed as she tried to get out of the predicament.

***

The day of the ritual has arrived, and it was the same as his vision, a clear blue sky with no clouds that preceded rain. The city was bustling with life as today was a yearly celebration and a chance for shop owners to sell their merchandise.

The crowd could see luxurious carriages leaving the city one after the other, all heading toward the ritual ground where Vyxas will offer his blessings to Fera.

This year was different because guests of Rosia have also arrived at the scene. It was the first time Rosia was allowed into the ritual, and this was the fruit of the efforts done by the peace agreement led by the princess.

"I am glad that you returned in time, Lyle," Saint Maria squinted her eyes at him with more than just joy. "I believe that you had fun with Lucas?"

"You address him by his first name behind his back, but by his title in his face. You need to be more honest, princess," Nikolai changed the subject as he looked through the curtains of the carriage. "We should be arriving soon."

"Your report was excellent, and I managed to strengthen my relationship with more than just one noble of Fera. I believe that after this ritual, peace will be more than just a dream."

\'The nobles must have acted like they supported her pacifist ideology only to make sure she attends the ritual. Then, the offering will take place.\'

Nikolai felt that it was ironic. The person who believed that peace should be attained was their tool to ignite a war. Of course, the Fera Warriors were powerful enough to make a real threat to the Rosian Kingdom, but it was rather unusual for the Bestial King to make such schemes.

"Where is Master Edward?" asked Nikolai, feigning ignorance. Princess Maria sighed while shaking her head.

"I wanted him to take care of my brother, but I cannot reach him. So I wonder if he went back toward the palace. I don\'t think he wanted to attend anyway. All he can think of is Miss Aya."

"I can see why," said Nikolai in an attempt to probe into their past. "She is quite captivating, isn\'t she?"

"I see that you have also fallen for her charms," smiled Maria. "This is also a secret, but she is the person my uncle loves. I once overheard him mention it while drunk."

"Unrequited love is the ugliest killer of the heart," said Nikolai as he saw the walls of the ritual ground get closer. "We should be there soon."

"Let\'s go and change the world, Lyle," she said with a dazzling smile, looking unstained by the world. Nikolai stared at her face silently with complexity.

\'What an unfortunate fate you have.\'