A week earlier.
This has already been the 200th attempt to kidnap General Zeonid. The result is the same every time: I didn’t succeed. I simply didn’t have the strength to cope with this man. Even though he looked old and seemed like a rather weak person, he was actually very strong. Even wounded, he poses a threat.
The last time I attacked him from behind, I managed to take him by surprise, but even with a blade stuck in his chest and bleeding, the old general did not blink an eye as he took out his knife and cut his throat with it. I fell unconscious and went back a day to the past.
If I had known earlier that he did not feel pain, I would not have even tried to kidnap him directly.
I thought about it and decided to change my approach.
It is impossible to deprive him of consciousness, his security is very strong, but even if I manage to tie him up, I will not have time to take him away and his people will find me. We need to make sure that it disappears quickly and also quickly ends up in Hippolyta.
Waking up inside the chambers of the palace, I carefully think about what I experienced in my unfulfilled future and decided to act differently.
Sorry, Boris.
Three hundred tries later.
I open my eyes and remember Boris's face. It was as if he was asking in surprise, “what?”, and then in shock, “why?” and I felt ashamed. He may be a stranger, but he saved us, and I thanked him by going into battle against his people, his people and himself. From his point of view, I was a traitor, and I understood him perfectly, imagining how I would feel if I were in his place.
However, I could not do otherwise, they must help us or our people will perish and lose themselves in the ocean of horror, fear and death that the servants of Sod, these damned Antigonians, carry within themselves. I have to do what needs to be done and it doesn’t matter what Boris and his people ultimately think about me.
I'll force him.
In one of my attempts, I started trying to hijack a shuttle, the very “flying castle” in order to deliver Zeonid to Hippolyta, but I encountered many difficulties, starting with the fact that it was a complex device that I was not even trusted to try. I tried to learn how to use it on my own, and then I killed myself to turn back time. Each time taking my own life became more and more disgusting, but I endured, otherwise I could not return everything as it was. I soon realized that as a stranger, purely because of my origin, I could not control it.
I must be an earthling, otherwise the ghost of the on-board computer will not recognize me as its master, and I must also have some kind of sign, that is, the mark of a pilot with some kind of flight rank. I don't know what it is, but without it I can't control this thing.
Although I learned how to board the shuttle, I was unable to take off on it. Every time I tried to activate the machine, Boris’s people found out about it, came running inside and found me, and there was nowhere to hide.
Knowing that Boris wouldn’t kill me, I cut my throat to go back to the past and repeat everything. But after three hundred attempts, I realized that I could not hijack the shuttle. I had no chance and I had to change my plan of action again.
No... that won’t work, there must be something else.
Another fifty tries later.
I killed the pilot and tried to use his eye and fake voice to make friends with the ghost of the on-board computer, but suddenly it turned out that the pilot needed to be alive and awake, and also speak in his own voice. The ghost of the on-board computer can distinguish between the living and the dead, so again I failed.
Even having studied English, I could not properly do everything as needed, and therefore I gave up trying to take control of the shuttle.
O great mother, I began to speak and think like an earthling.
Five hundred tries later.
Having abandoned the method of abducting the general using the shuttle, I began to explore the city in search of another way. I had to comb every corner, every gateway to find other ways to accomplish my plans. I learned that the people here worship Sod, but they are not part of the Empire, but the church... was.
At first I was afraid that the Antigone Empire was ruling here in the shadows, but I soon decided to do something different and use them to help kidnap General Zeonid. I found out that the local bishop, who is part of the royal council, actually reports to the Empire about everything that happens here.
I was careless and in one of the unfulfilled destinies, I was grabbed in an alley and then dragged into a dungeon, where Bishop Azann himself appeared before me in a clean white sacred robe and a high headdress, under which the tired face of an old man could be seen.
It was unusual to see how he held a sword with a red-hot blade in his hands, and I immediately realized what he was going to do to me. In this unfulfilled life I was destined to suffer.
“Are you really that same prophet?”
Azann said with a devilish smile.
"Saint Yasmi returned safely to Gollei and shared with the synod an interesting story about how she met the dark ones. I could not even imagine that she meant your friends."
Azann held out the crystal ball to my face with his left hand. I had no idea what it was, but what was surprising was that there was no reflection of me in it, only the chair to which I was tied.
"I reported your friends to the Empire. In the name of the great Sod, this country must be cleansed of all the dirt and all the heresy that lives here."
I was filled with disgust for these fanatics. They conquered my home, killed so many people and that wasn’t enough for them, they decided to do the same here. I couldn't let that happen. Seeing my expression, Azann grinned and removed the crystal ball from my face and continued:
“As the most faithful follower of the great Sod, I decided to make sure that you really see what you shouldn’t. Do you really see the future?”
I nodded. It would be pointless to hide this, but it seems that my modest nod did not surprise him at all. His next words only reinforced my belief that these fanatics must be stopped.
"Only Sod knows the future."
The bishop said and put a red-hot blade on my neck.
The next moment I experienced agony and could no longer think about anything, only feel how the unbearable heat was burning my flesh to the bones.
"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A~!!!"
I screamed at the top of my lungs. How it hurt me, I screamed so loudly that it seemed that people outside would hear me and maybe respond to my suffering, but no, it was just me and this bastard. From the terrible burning pain, I strained my voice and staggered from side to side trying to get out, but I was still tied on a chair while my skin was burning.
"You are nothing more than a heretic who thinks too much of himself."
The bishop said arrogantly.
"N-no... please!"
I begged hoarsely, not wanting to experience this terrible pain anymore.
"Kill me... I beg you!"
"Kill? Have you not repented of your sins and want to die?"
Azann didn’t show it, but he was clearly very angry, which is why he cut my hand with one light movement of his sword.
"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A~!!!"
"YOU MUST SUFFER!"
The bishop shouted and the next moment he cut off his other hand.
"YOU SHOULD BEGGING SOD FOR FORGIVENESS! REPENT, YOU FREAK!"
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"AHHHHHHHHHHH~!!! ENOUGH! PLEASE!"
"I HATE YOU! DIE!"
A thousand tries later.
Since then I have become more careful. I learned that the bishop was watching not the queen, but rather the general’s people, and having essentially noticed people from heaven, he doomed this kingdom to destruction. I collected evidence that the Antigone Empire would invade the Kingdom of Lacuus, but when I told about it... General Zeonid simply flew away with Boris back somewhere to the east.
Watching the shuttles fly away in the twilight sky, I fell to my knees in despair. Not only were they not going to help Hippolyta, but they also abandoned the kingdom of Lacuus to its fate. They did not want to get involved with the empire so much that they preferred to sever all ties rather than give them a fight.
Underpants!
I clenched my fingers into fists.
The decision to get out of here was immediate. Just a couple of hours ago there was a meeting where I spoke about the betrayal of Bishop Azann. He was captured and taken into custody, and General Zeonid rode on a mobile cart to the camp from where the shuttles flew back to Pharaoh, whatever it was.
Meanwhile, chaos began in the capital, people began to erect barricades, and some even began to pack their things and run. People despaired, thinking that they had lost a faithful defender, but in fact they never intended to protect anyone. They always thought only about themselves.
The queen, having learned that Zeonid had flown away, drooped, and before that she completely closed herself in her chambers when she heard from me the words that the bishop was a traitor. I despaired more seeing how the mighty earthlings simply ran away, leaving us to be torn to pieces by the wolves.
For this I hated them so much that I continued to try to hide my face under a mask so that they would not see my true feelings that I felt towards them.
I hate them.
From the next attempts, I didn’t say a word about talking about the bishop’s betrayal, instead I continued to monitor the church and think about how to use them. They were both bitter enemies and a great opportunity.
I also learned that not only the bishop was watching the queen, but also someone else. Some of them were cultists, others were durshlagds, and still others were local nobility. They all acted on their own and more often killed each other than working on a common cause, but they all wanted one thing: to kill Queen Ilifreeta.
In one of the attempts, I developed a clear plan and, following it, decided to organize a meeting of all four factions. I sent letters to them all, and they sent their representatives to the hotel I indicated, where I shared my observations.
In the first meeting they killed me, and then they killed each other, but somewhere on the third attempt I found the right approach to these paranoid people and lured them into a trap. I stole a lot of money from the streets and hired security so that the representatives of the four factions could not escape, and when I walked out in front of them, I immediately told them that they were now working for me:
"I invited you here so that we can join forces and kill Queen Ilifreeta."
How many times did I say this before we managed to share enough information and started an uprising? I learned that Bishop Azann not only had a sphere of contact that allowed him to communicate with Antigone using magic, but also an altar that, if necessary, representatives of the church could use to escape. This altar was located right inside the city's cathedral and could be activated through a ritual.
I convinced the church that General Zeonid needed to be kidnapped so they wouldn't interfere with the Antigone Empire's plans to invade Lacuus. I dodged as best I could, but eventually finding the right words, I was able to deceive them, and they decided to do everything as I suggested.
I had to study each of them, find out their every intention, every step they took, and only after that I managed to take control of everything. I didn’t even notice how, in just a day, I led the organization of the most ambitious uprising in the history of this country.
It is unknown how many attempts later.
The plan was ready, but only the most difficult thing remained, namely its execution. I got the role of the queen's kidnapper. I will have to kill the Privy Councilor and take Queen Ilifreeta to the altar, and then General Zeonid will have to rush there. When he falls into a trap, I will send him straight to Hippolyta, or even to the Antigone Empire. After this, the earthlings will have no choice, and they will be forced to invade the Antigone Empire to save their leader.
There was just one problem: I was never a fighter, and therefore it was very difficult for me to fight. I was never a fighter, all I could see was the future where I would eventually die, and I would leave the battle to the noble hippolytian warriors. And yet, having taken up arms, I began to try myself in battle, but I managed to fight with great difficulty.
Who would have thought that combat is a whole science, where you not only need to swing your weapon correctly, but also choose the right direction, follow the enemy’s movements and skillfully deceive them. I didn’t think that fighting was so difficult and... fun.
Living through the same events again, I learned to read all the predictable actions of the enemy, but I could not fight with everyone in a row, otherwise I would have to learn new techniques and ways to defeat the enemy in battle. I decided to fight only a few people, namely Queen Ilifreeta's bodyguards.
Getting to the queen's chambers, I was met by the royal guards, who quickly killed me. I thought of getting inside by deception, but Furgur was adamant and would not let me in. No matter what words I tried, nothing worked, and Her Majesty’s chambers were guarded around the clock.
I had no other choice, and therefore I decided to take the difficult path. I began to learn a complex and precise dance, the outcome of which should be the death of each guard, but their death should be such that I could later convince Dougman that Furgur betrayed them, and not I killed them.
With a lot of repetition, I fought Furgur again and again and eventually I found the perfect path in which I could kill him. One wrong mistake, one wrong pose, one missed moment and I'm dead. The hardest thing was to deceive Dougman, who immediately began to suspect me.
I decided to do everything possible to gain his trust and lied, lied, lied, lied and lied again as best I could so as not to learn new techniques and waste time on another battle. Finally, I succeeded in this, but the last part of the plan turned out to be even more difficult: namely, to lure General Zeonid and convince Azann not to kill the queen ahead of time.
Even though I became very cruel, experienced so many deaths and felt so much pain through myself that it seemed that I had become a real monster that the world should not see, and yet I did not want this girl to die. My goal is the kidnapping of General Zeonid and the intervention of his people in the kingdom of Hippolyta for his release, not his death.
I follow the path of evil to do good, this is the path I have chosen. I didn’t regret it because I knew what I wanted and what I was going to achieve with it. The plan prepared in haste must be completed with ideal steps, my ideal actions, and I must not make a single mistake, not utter a single extra word, not miss a single necessary phrase.
All these difficulties are in order to save the people of Hippolyta as soon as possible, and so that my Alza returns home with her child, and does not live in poverty in the middle of unfamiliar forests, rivers and fields. I have to put the finishing touches on this and finally break the vicious circle that I have created for myself.
I will save Hippolyta.
With the queen in my arms, I reached the church and did everything possible so that people could see me and Ilifreeta, who was in my arms. She was too excited to use her punishing hand, and so I was safe and sound. I went inside the temple, where I was met by people in white robes, priests of the Sod worship church.
Among them, Bishop Azann was saying a prayer and heard the creaking of the door behind him, he turned in my direction. His face was pleased to see the young queen in my arms.
“I see, Muran, everything worked out for you. I am glad that Sod heard my prayers and blessed your righteous work.”
Hiding my disgust for the Antigonian, I bowed and came closer to this very altar around which many small white spheres shone in the air, circling around the altar like a hurricane. The altar itself looked like some kind of clawed paw, which was half buried under piles of stones. It was as if he had drowned in molten stone, which was then made into smooth tiles. On top of this paw there were only sharp claws that rushed to the sky. It was quite an amazing sight, as if the hand of the earth was reaching out to a heavenly deity, but personally, I saw here the clawed paw of a monster who died a long time ago, and not something sacred.
This place was sacred for believers in Sod. This was God’s hand, a piece of Sod itself, around which entire temples were built. They say that the angels themselves died here, leaving behind the gates to the garden of Sod, and people pray every day that their life would not be in vain, and that after death this very garden would await them, into which they with all their hearts wish to go.
I felt disgusted by this false, evil religion, which destroyed my people, the country in which I was born and raised, and left the princess Niana and the simple maid Alza with whom I was in love unhappy. I hated all this and yet I used them to free Hippolyta.
If Sod were really as powerful as they say, he would never allow his loyal servants to help his enemies. This means that we were right and that Sod is not really omnipotent and that the great mother is a real deity, worthy of worship and faith instead of this vile creature.
Internally, I was delighted that the Antigonians were digging their own graves with their erroneous actions. I was glad that I could repay them for all of us. They will very much regret that they attacked our country and contacted me, the one who swore with his life to destroy this damned empire.
You're finished.
Having carried the queen to the altar, I took a bottle from under my cloak and poured the contents into the queen's mouth, after which she instantly fell asleep. I calculated the right dose so she would not die. The queen, almost choking on the liquid, instantly lost consciousness, and then I, turning towards the bishop, finally asked:
"Is the altar ready?"
“Yes, I’m ready, but answer me, Muran, one question: why should she live?”
Azann asked, starting to slowly approach me.
I've seen this moment dozens of times already. Azann suspected me, did not believe that I was who I said I was. I thought for a long time about what to say at that moment before the sacred magic incinerated me with lightning, after which I fell to my knees and made a prayer gesture.
"That's Sod's will."
I answered in a false impulse of righteousness.
Azann raised an eyebrow at my gesture and lowered his palm and agreed with me.
"That's right, everything is Sod's will."
Fool.
I was happy to myself that I had finally completed my plan.
Any of my statements other than faith could not convince Azann to leave Ilifreeta alive, I did not know what to answer him until I thought:
He sincerely believes in his righteousness, in Sod, which means...
So I decided to do it, fall on my knees and pray to the god whom I sincerely hate.
“I see the pain flowing through you, Muran.”
Azann said, lifting me to my feet, holding me by the shoulders.
"I see how loyal you really are to the great, all-powerful and all-forgiving Sod, so be calm. I believe Sod sent you to us because it was his will. You are a manifestation of his will and destiny continued by his steps. I will follow you, Muran, our sacred paladin."
I nodded in response.
"We'll wait for the forces of darkness to get here and lure their leader into a trap. Sod will do everything!"
"It's all Sod's will!"
The bishop and all the priests in the hall repeated.
I began to wait for the moment when Zeonid would be here. This moment will soon come and the vicious circle will finally be broken.