That same night after Miko brought the possibility that one half of the Silver Continent might have been secretly conquered.

There was someone walking down the streets of the lower class district in the Imperial capital. They walked with light but fast steps, as if they were in a hurry but didn’t want to draw anyone’s attention.

After walking for sometime, they stopped in front of a manhole. They checked their surroundings one last time before standing on it. A moment later, the person disappeared from sight.

Below the city, there was a drain system that could be found in any modern city. The person once again checked their surroundings before walking down the sewers. After a while they came across a wall that had an alchemic sigil on it. The person placed their hand on the sigil causing it to lit up.

The wall then began to morph, and then a path appeared. The person walked inside and entered a huge room with lots of machinery and equipment.

They walked up to the huge supercomputer in the center of the room and turned it on.

“Oh? I thought it would be time for your report, it was good thing that I stuck by the computer.”

The moment the computer turned on, a young boy appeared on it. He was former member of the Dragna Clan and founding member of the New Era, Alexis Dragna.

“So what is there to report, Gizmo?”

Alexis asked.

The person, Gizmo spoke.

“Master, there have been some unforeseen developments in both the war and Miko himself.”

“Unforeseen developments? Alright, fill me in.”

After that Gizmo began reporting everything that happened during the war so far including Edward’s death and the change it caused in Miko. He also reported about the possibility of a third party entering the war, and them secretly controlling half the continent.

“The existence of a third part with such military strength is surprising, but not impossible. I agree with Miko, after everything I’ve heard there’s solid evidence of a third party’s involvement.”

Said Alexis.

“I’m also interested in what he said about Augustus still being inside him. If that’s true, then things have gotten far more complicated.”

“Master, what will you do? Will you inform Lennox of the third party?”

Gizmo asked.

Alexis shook his head.

“If I told him he would just laugh and say ‘so what? The more the merrier’. So telling him isn’t necessary. Besides, he’ll probably figure it out himself if he hadn’t already.”

Alexis answered.

“Do you have any ideas for the identity of the third party, Master?”

Alexis shook his head.

“Not enough data to make a proper deduction, but I believe that a global powerhouse is definitely involved. Only they have the means to take half the continent without alerting the other half.”

He said.

“Contact me if you find any new information.”

“Yes, Master.”

After Gizmo said that, Alexis disappeared off the screen.

“What? That’s it?”

“?!”

That was when Gizmo heard a familiar voice and quickly turned around. There he saw Miko standing in the room while looking at the monitor.

“And here I thought that I could use New Era to find out the identity of the third party. What a disappointment.”

He said.

“How did you get in here?!”

“The same way you did, through the front door.”

Miko responded.

“You’ve been following me? Since when?”

“Does it matter? Will telling you change the fact that I’m here? Or will it help you calm down a little bit?”

Miko walked over to a chair and sat in it.

“Come on, have a seat.”

“I prefer to stand.”

“Do you think you can make a break for it if you keep standing?”

Gizmo didn’t answer.

“This is my city, I created it. If you think you can escape me in the heart of my empire, go ahead. Feel free to run.”

Miko gestured him to give it a try.

Gizmo stood in place, because he knew that the Miko in front of him was far more clever and decisive than the one before. The fact that he could see through the attacks on the empire and Edward’s death was proof of that.

Gizmo wouldn’t be surprised if Miko had already guessed his every possible action and prepared a countermeasure for it. He felt like he was castled in with no room for escape.

“How long have you beven suspicious of me?”

Gizmo asked.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“From Alexis left the clan, but I wanted to believe that I was just overthinking it. Just another example of me being naïve, that’s all.”

Miko gave a dry chuckle.

“To be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure, so I threw a little bait to fish you out and any other traitor that could be around me.”

Gizmo suddenly realized what that bait was.

“You purposely told us about Augustus still existing inside you to see who would report it to New Era.”

Miko nodded.

“I knew that if new era still had people in the Dragna Clan they would’ve been instructed to report anything Augustus related as soon as possible. After that I only needed to keep watch on all the members, as well as any place that could hide a secret base. For example, the under sewers.”

Miko said.

“To be honest, you weren’t really that good of a spy. I mean Alexis was your master which made you a target of observation. You lose your purpose as a spy if you’re constantly being monitored. You also had the weapon I gave you redesigned by Alexis, that wasn’t a smart thing to do if you wanted to lay low.”

Miko suddenly looked like he thought of something.

“I see. The reason you could be so laid back was because I showed that I was forgiving when I pardoned Alesia when it was discovered that she was in a relationship with someone in New Era. You thought that even if you were caught, I wouldn’t harm you because we’re family.”

He said.

Gizmo remained silent because what Miko said was partly true. He originally wanted to leave with Alexis, but Alexis wanted him to stay and monitor Miko. When Alexis explained that Miko wouldn’t go as far as to kill him if he was caught because he didn’t want to cause rift in the clan, he agreed to stay back.

However, the situation now was different. The Miko sitting in front of him is completely heartless and will surely make him suffer.

Unless…

“You want to convince me that you have more value alive than dead.”

Miko said as if reading Gizmo’s mind.

“How did you…”

“It’s one of the few options you have that can lead to you surviving this situation. A person’s words and actions are easy to predict once you limit their options after all.”

Miko replied.

“You…..Have you really gone insane?”

“Instead of proving your worth, you waste my time on such a pointless question?”

Miko frowned.

“Looks like destroying you is really the best option.”

“No, I just mean that you’re so rational and your mind seems sharper than before. I can’t really link it with an insane person.”

Gizmo quickly said.

“That’s because you only perceive insanity in a closed-minded way. Being insane doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll go around destroying everything. In the first place, the term madman is subjective. What you define as insane may be different from what I call insane.”

Miko said.

“Let’s use cannibalism as an example. For an intellectual such as yourself, the consumption of one’s race is utter madness, but for someone who hails from a cannibalistic tribe or family burying a dead body would be seen as wasting precious food which they would judge as insane. Get it?”

“So you’re saying that there’s different type of insanity, it just depends on the individual views?”

Miko nodded.

“Some people might see me killing my emotions as an insane act by itself. Another thing is that there’s not much difference between a madman and a genius, it just depends on how those around you view you.”

Miko pointed at Gizmo.

“I can tell from the way you look at me that you believe that I’m a genius.”

Gizmo couldn’t help but nod.

“But what if I told you that I was secretly thinking what kind of furniture I should use your bones to make? Or what kind of dish would bring out the flavor of human flesh the best?”

When gizmo heard that he couldn’t help but to tremble. That was because he couldn’t tell if Miko was giving random examples or that was truly going through his mind.

“See? You just thought that I was sick in the head. That proves that insanity is subjective and not defined.”

Miko said.

“There are as many different types of insanity as there are people, boy.”

Gizmo looked in his eyes.

“The insanity that I possess may not be of a destructive nature, but it is quite deep and boundless.”

The longer he looked in his eyes, the more he felt that he was losing his mind.

“So be careful, because it can easily devour you.”

Miko looked away when he said.

Gizmo was now certain. Miko was indeed insane, no he past what insanity was thought to be. He was now in his own league with no equal. A walking ball of insanity himself.

“Now then, the lecture is over.”

Miko suddenly said.

“Since you were distracted let me tell you what you were going to offer in return for your life.”

Miko lifted a finger.

“You were going to offer being my double agent who reports information on New Era back to me after you get them from Alexis.”

“…….”

Gizmo didn’t say anything because that was really what he was going to offer.

“While the offer is tempting, there is one problem. I don’t care for New Era or anything that could possibly happen in this world.”

He said.

“I’m only doing this war thing to past the time until I lose self control. After that, the only thing left for me is evolution or death. Either I grasp my rationality again, or I turn into a beast and die. So New Era are the least of my troubles.”

“Then what do you want from me?”

Gizmo asked.

“A third option.”

“What?”

“I want you to create a third option for me. One that doesn’t involve me losing my sense of self and reason and not turning into a beast, but somehow keeping the same benefits.”

Miko said.

“I-I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Miko sighed when he heard that.

He stood up and walked over to gizmo.

“Basically, I want you to create something that will allow me to stay insane, rational, and emotional at the same time.”

“That’s contradictory.”

“I know, but not impossible.”

He replied casually.

“I want you to create a drug that suppress my insanity without needing to kill my emotions. However, I don’t want something like anti-depressants that permanently affects the brain.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Miko. I don’t think such a drug is possible. The brain is a delicate thing. If I mess up it won’t be pretty.”

Gizmo said.

“How illogical.”

“Huh?”

Gizmo was instantly confused by what Miko said.

“The development of this drug was the only use you have to me. If you had lied, you could’ve lived long enough to escape my clutches, but you still placed your pride as an alchemist first without second thought.”

It was only after Miko said that Gizmo realized that he had done something truly irrational, and basically threw away his life.

Regret immediately covered his face.

“Humans are truly fascinating.”

Miko said after seeing his expression.

He turned his back to him and started to walk away.

“There’s no need to fret, I was just messing with you. I know that such a drug was impossible.”

Miko said.

“Huh?”

“It was a simple test to see what you prioritize more, your life or your pride as an alchemist.”

“Why did you do that?”

“Just to past time. No reason.”

Miko said.

“Now then…”

Miko suddenly span around and stabbed his hand in Gizmo’s chest. He gripped his heart with just enough pressure to not kill him.

“You didn’t think that I would foolishly let a traitor go, did you?”

Miko coldly said to him.

“Gizmo Dragna, your life is no longer yours it belongs solely to the Dragna Clan. You will use it to preserve the clan at all cost. You’ll never betray the clan, if you do cut your own heartstrings and die.”

Miko then released his heart.

“Cough! Cough!”

Gizmo started coughing as he held his chest.

“Y-You….You startled me to make my mental state inferior to yours and then used Rule to force that order on me just now.”

“That’s right.”

Miko took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood off his hand.

“You may have no value to me, but you’re irreplaceable for the clan’s future. Losing you would be too much of a waste since you have the potential to become an Alchemic God.”

Miko turned the kerchief to ashes after he finished using it.

“You’re still free to join New Era, but you won’t be able to go against the clan. But I guess that could possibly limit your actions.”

Gizmo suddenly remembered what Miko said earlier.

“A person’s words and actions are easy to predict once you limit their options, huh?”

“Oh, You’re learning? Good boy.”

Gizmo scrawled at Miko’s belittling tone.

“You scheming bastard….”

“Why, thank you. Having your enemies curse at you means that you’re doing your job right.”

Miko said and began exiting the building.

“Oh, if you tell anyone about the Rule I set on you, the detonation mark I left on your heart will activate and kill you instantly, so be careful.”

After he said that he exited the building.

Gizmo could still hear him say one thing before disappearing in the night.

“Be sure to work hard for the clan, boy.”

“DAMMIT!!!”

Gizmo’s scream echoed through out the city sewers that night.