The iron braced wooden gate baring entrance to the city parted slowly. An invitation was given to Hadel’s saviors and a party of twenty one passed through the portal of the gatehouse.

They were met with the narrow, mud caked streets. The city was no less furnished than any other hub of trade and craft, if a little lacking in traders or craftsmen. Boarded windows, smokeless chimneys and not a soul in sight – Hadel was a shadow of its former self.

The fading sunlight did little to lighten up the desolate place that was the titular commercial and administrative center of the Rotwald County. Back in its glory days there had been a lack of free living space within these walls, as was made evident by the old stone buildings that encroached upon the road. Normally, townhouses two to three stories high were a sign of wealth and a strong desire to stake a claim over every bit of available land. But now the piles of bones at Hadel’s gates almost seemed like they would fit right in over on this, the supposedly inhabited side of the wall.

House Rotwald was named after the majestic redwood forests that used to grow around these parts hundreds of years ago. But now, with the forests long gone and the fertile plains drowned beneath the waters, only the name itself remained to tell a story of the once prosperous region. These days the Rotwald domains along with those of the other Marsh Counts were known for their poor soil and general poverty.

But even now, despite it being a backwater of a fringe region with dwindling population, no notable natural resources or commercial value, this bleak place was still worth something to someone.

To Victorian Rotwald, however, this place was home. This was his inheritance – destitution, duty and honor.

“Looks like I missed out on a fun battle,” Lemmy remarked as he eyed the claw mark covered wooden gates. The town’s denizens had tried to remove the remains of the attackers from the entrance, but the many tiny phalanges of fingers and bone splinters still littered the ground.

“It was hardly even a battle,” Julia announced. The golden haired beauty that had played the part of a messenger rode behind Lemmy. She and Leonora were at the front of the twelve servants escorting their master and her two male companions.

Julia gave the towering man-demon in front of her a suggestive grin. “It only lasted this long because the Duke’s men were so weak,” she said, “If you had been here, My Lord, there would have been no real battle to speak of.”

Behind the handmaidens the two columns were concluded by six death knights clad from head to toe in full plate armor. A masterfully crafted illusion spell was hiding their true undead nature. To the naked eye the six knights escorting the party looked entirely human. Even their horses, though eerily silent, resemble their living counterparts that Lemmy and the rest of them were riding.

The long lances that they carried reached for the sky in a display of graceful strength. As they passed through the gate the armor clad warriors took off their helmets revealing their faces to the Duke’s soldiers that had been sent to receive them. The illusion had turned the mounted incarnations of death and misery into fine looking men. Strong facial features coupled with their short hair and the passionate look in their eyes, though fake in every sense of the word, cast an aura of nobility about them.

“Such an unimportant scuffle was below you, My Lord,” Leonora reassured Lemmy. “After all, Victorian was able to carry the day with the forces that our Master provided.”

Lemmy sighed in disappointment. “I guess it does sound a little easy then,” he said. “Still, at least Victorian got to fight.”

He looked to the young paladin riding at his side. “How was it, little man?” Lemmy asked. “Was the fighting any good?”

Victorian glared at Lemmy through the visor of his helmet. “This was not what I agreed to,” he answered. “I never through that she would put my people in danger.”

Unlike Lemmy who was dressed in his fine green velvet clothes, Victorian wore armor. He had foregone the plate mail from yesterday as they were not riding into battle, but he still wore his steel chain shirt and boiled leather beneath it.

Lemmy shrugged. “It seems to me that the city was defended successfully.” The hulking man glanced at the blood stained cobble stone. “Well, at a cost, of course. Can’t have fighting without dying, is what I say.”

“Be silent, you fool,” Victorian replied.

After Diana’s outrageous attack on his home town, the young paladin was left with no taste for the demon’s quipping. In the wake of what he perceived to be her betrayal, Victorian had hardly even slept last night. Tormented by the realization of how cruel and unpredictable the Devil truly was, he had been consumed by doubt and regret for his easy fall into her service.

How could I have done this to my own people? Victorian wondered. Why was I such a fool to trust her…

“You are overthinking it again, little man,” Lemmy said.

You are all monsters, Victorian thought. I have brought monsters to the seat of my House.

He cast his angry gaze upon the Devil riding at the front of the column. Diana appeared distant and no more concerned about the signs of battle surrounding her than a miller might be about flour dust on his millstone. Wanton death, clearly, was part and parcel for her.

The young paladin felt a sudden urge to drawn his sword. They were close – the Devil and the betrayed Templar. A short gallop would put his blade at her back…

Yet the temptation vanished as quickly as it had sprung up in his tormented mind. She warned me, Victorian thought, She told me who she was; what she would do to this world. And yet, I failed to heed her words.

And now I know that I cannot possibly face such an evil force on my own. I wonder if anyone can.

As if sensing the surge of anger in Victorian, Diana turned her gold tiara adorned head to look at him.

“Is there anything that you would like to tell me?” she asked.

“Tell you?” Victorian replied. “Now?” He gestured at the townhouses at the side of the road.

“You wouldn’t even see me yesterday,” Victorian pointed out. “I waited on you the whole day today, and you avoided me. And you want to talk about it now?”

“I had to give you the time to think,” Diana said. “You were still too irrational following the battle.”

“I was the irrational one?” Victorian asked. “You mean, you didn’t… Then you–”

The paladin rode up to the Devil and whispered so that the Duke’s men wouldn’t be able to hear their conversation.

“You attacked my home town,” he said, “My people! Why?”

“Calm down, Victorian,” Diana said, “It was all a test.”

“A test?” Victorian asked, “For what?”

“To see how you would react,” Diana explained, “To see where your priorities lied. I had to make sure that you still had your heart in the right place.”

“You don’t need to attack innocent people to figure that out,” Victorian protested. “You can ask me anything that would like to know, and I will tell you.”

Diana sighed. “If only it was that simple…”

“What’s so hard about not putting innocent lives in danger?” Victorian asked. “Why was it necessary for some stupid test?”

“Do you have any idea of how much power you are going to wield if you are going to serve me?” Diana asked. “Do you understand the scope and weight of the decisions that you are going to have to make?”

“I do,” Victorian said.

“No you don’t,” Diana said. “Just as you had no idea of how cruel I can be, you do not understand the pitfalls of your own human mind. You will not be able to avoid spilling the blood of your precious innocents, Victorian, because in some cases the decision to spare one life will mean the death of another – regardless of your own actions. Or are you really so stupid as to think that you can be a ruler with a scepter in one hand without the burden of death in the other?”

Victorian winced as he searched for a counter-argument, but came up empty.

“There are mortals on this world with incredible powers,” the Devil said, “Mages, who hold dominion over fire and ice. There are warlocks, who can bind and command the demons of the Oblivion; necromancers, who can bring back the dead and feed the very souls of the living into rituals to call forth cosmic entities from your darkest nightmares. They are all incredibly potent tools for any man to command, but few can ever hope to contain them. That is why you need me – a supreme evil; a better side to evil.

There are other worlds out there, Victorian, other worlds that have already fallen to ruin in light of your incredible abilities to wield magic. All that I am trying to achieve by killing a few people is to prevent the death of your entire world.

Look at your own city,” Diana said. “Is there anything but a slow death in its future? What about its people? Don’t they deserve any better? And what can you give them?”

Victorian lowered his head in defeat.

“You, soldier!” Diana addressed one of the Duke’s soldiers leading their party. “Why have the people not come out to greet us?”

“There is a curfew in place, My Lady,” the soldier answered. He was the Captain in command of the escort party, as was made evident by the plume of feather in his helmet.

“Since, uhh… since Duke Steinfeld took the city under his protection there has been some insubordination,” the man explained. “Nothing that you should be worried about, of course! The locals aren’t violent; just confused is all.”

“Is she also confused?” Diana asked and gestured at a little girl standing on the side of the road. The girl looked to be holding something small in her hands as she peered with anticipation towards the approaching party.

“Argh,” the Captain sighed. “Please don’t mind her, she is just a child.”

“Brian!” the Captain called out to one of the soldiers leading the column. “Get her back inside. Remind her parents that the curfew is still in place. For their own safety...”

“Yes, captain!” the young soldier replied and doubled his pace.

Diana halted her horse and the entire column stopped behind her.

“What is it, My Lady?” the Captain asked as he turned to face her. He glanced over the six knights at the back of the column with a cautious gaze before repeating the question. “What is wrong? Why did you stop?”

“I would like to talk to that girl,” Diana answered. The Devil then waved for the little one to approach her.

Encouraged by the gesture, the girl, still mindful of the soldier sent to get her, walked up to Diana.

“I am afraid that I can’t let you do that,” the Captain protested. “The curfew should not be broken, My Lady – Duke’s orders. I am sorry, but I must insist that–”

Diana looked the man in the eyes and spoke in a calm voice, “You don’t want to stop her.”

The captain’s focused expression softened and his gaze relaxed. “We won’t stop her.” He looked drowsy as he parroted her suggestion.

The other soldiers stared in shared confusion at their commander.

“She is just a little girl,” Diana said.

“She is just a little girl…” the commander repeated after her.

“You should tell your men to let her pass. There is no harm in me talking to her.”

“Yes,” the captain agreed. He turned around and stood aside. “Let the girl pass!”

The other soldiers reluctantly followed his orders.

Looking down at the right side of the street the Devil’s green eyes met those of the child’s. It only lasted a moment as the shy girl immediately averted her gaze.

“E–excuse me, pretty Lady,” the little girl said in a meek voice as she slowly approached Diana. She was clearly no more than six or seven years old and appropriately timid for her age.

“Yes?” Diana asked. She made sure to smile as she looked down upon her.

The girl was clutching a single lily flower in her hands. She tried reaching up to hand it to the woman in red, but her short arms failed her.

Witnessing the girl’s plight, Diana gracefully dismounted before her. She then extended her palm towards her.

Standing so close to the woman seemed to frighten the girl. She reacted by pulling her hand away before slowly offering the flower for a second time to the smiling Devil.

“Thank you,” Diana said as she received it.

The little girl still avoided eye contact as she tried to muster the courage to speak again. “Um, could you…”

“Yes?”

“Could you bless grandpa?” the girl asked. She did not dare to look up at the woman as she spoke.

Diana took hold of the girl’s hand. “Of course I will.”

Encouraged by her answer the girl finally looked the Devil in the eyes and smiled.

“Can you take me to him?” Diana asked.

The girl nodded and pointed her other hand towards a shoddy looking storefront. It was nestled in the first floor of a townhouse that, just like the rest of the city, looked to have seen better days.

As the girl led her towards the store, Diana noticed an old man peering at her through one of the windows.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Reluctant to lose sight of her now that the Devil walked the streets of his home town, Victorian dismounted and went after her.

“It will only be a moment,” Diana told him as she patiently followed the girl into the building.

Feeling uneasy about the situation, Victorian frowned under his helmet. What does she want form that child?

He looked to Leonard – the demon in disguise – and then at the twelve gorgeous assassins riding behind him, before finally stopping at the six death knights at the far end of the column.

What have I brought upon my people, Victorian wondered as he passed through the door after Diana.

As he entered the store he was met with a large assortment of farming tools, cutlery and other household items, neatly organized throughout the little room. Just like the store and its owner, who was standing by the window, the merchandise looked old and far from desirable.

Victorian remained by the door, trying to anticipate what Diana was going to do next.

The little girl pointed her finger at the old man by the window. “That is grandpa,” she said.

As soon as Diana let go of her hand the girl went straight for the man and hugged him.

“Huff!” exclaimed the old geezer as the girl wrapped her hands around his waist, pushing her blushing face into his thick green wool mantle. She did her best to try and hide herself from the strangers – the act of approaching Diana had clearly exhausted her confidence.

“Thank you, Rosalie,” the man said. He ruffled her brown, shoulder long hair to try and encourage her, but the girl was sticking to him like glued.

The grandfather was a kindly looking man with a long white beard and more than enough wrinkles to put the bark of even the oldest oak tree to shame. His hunched back and narrow gaze was likely the result of having spent long years inside the poorly lit store. Men of his age were a rarity around these parts as the diet of the average city dweller was rather lacking when compared to the core regions where the bustling trade ensured a higher level of prosperity for all.

“She is a brave young girl,” Diana commended Rosalie. She gave the store another look over. “I assume that you are her guardian?”

The old man nodded. “She is my little angel,” he said in a crackling voice.

Diana smirked. “I think you would find the angels to be overrated.

But children truly are innocent.  And they have such potential.”

The old man’s toothless smile faded. “Then… would you take her with you?” he asked.

Diana raised an eyebrow. “Hmm?”

The old man sighed and pressed the girl closer with one hand. “This will be her sixth winter, My Lady… but the Temple won’t take her in at such a young age.”

“You want me to train her to become a priestess?” Diana asked. “You think that I am with the Temple?”

The old man smiled in surprise at her suggestion. “A priestess? No… Gods be gracious, if only I could be so lucky.”

“You are asking me – a complete stranger – to take her in,” Diana said. “What makes you think that I won’t sell her to the first slave trader I come across?”

The old man shook his head. “The Duke’s soldiers talk, My Lady. The people talk. I know that you saved us from certain death yesterday. The townspeople are thankful to you. We truly are! But this place is slowly withering away…” He looked outside the window at the deserted streets beyond.

“The Rotwalds – may the gods feast their souls – did their best to keep this land livable; to spare us, the townsfolk from the taxes so that we could keep our businesses affordable to the farmers and craftsmen, but… I suppose it was unavoidable. This marshy land is too hard to work now that the groundwater has risen once more. The harvests are the poorest they have ever been.”

He looked down at the girl hugging him. “The young ones are all moving away. Some go to the capital, some to the northern counties. And those of us that are left behind… now we don’t even have the Rotwalds to protect us anymore.

There is no future for my little Rose here. And I am afraid that I won’t be around for much longer to care for her. Leaving the girl in the hands of the Duke…” He scoffed at the idea. “No. I would never…”

Please, would you take my little Rose with you?” the man asked. “I don’t care which god you worship. The girl is clever and hard working. She could help with the chores around the temple or you could have her learn a craft. Either way, it would make for a better life than staying here.

I know that she is young, but please, take her in. I beg of you.” The old man was trembling as he pleaded to Diana.

“I’m willing to offer you all that I have left.” He gestured at the dusty shelves throughout the room. “The goods that I have aren’t much, but they should suffice to compensate you for housing and feeding my little Rose for as long as it took her to reach an age when she could be of use to you.”

If only you knew, old man, Victorian thought. If only you could understand in whose hands you would place the little girl. Are you really that desperate? Is there no other way? 

Victorian looked outside the open doorway at the Devil’s handmaidens. What choice did they have? Young girls… Who made that choice for them?

Diana placed her hand on the grandfather’s frail shoulder. “I am sorry, old man,” she said, “But I cannot take her with me.”

“I see…” The old man lowered his head in disappointment.

Victorian felt a sense of relief. The Devil would not claim this girl today.

“My travels will take me to dangerous places,” Diana explained. “The sights that my companions and I will behold, they would corrupt your girl beyond redemption.

In my future there is only strife and hardship,” she said and looked back at Victorian, “It will be so for all that choose to follow me.”

The old man nodded. “Then I must apologize for wasting your time–”

“Nonsense!” Diana said. “It just so happens that I cannot take her with me now, but if you could keep her safe for a few more years…”

The old man looked up. “My Lady?”

“It is my intention to remain close to the Rotwald lands in the near future,” Diana explained. “I would need to build a proper place of worship for my god first, of course. But once the work was complete, I would more than gladly take your Rose under my care.”

Diana kneeled down and took hold of the little girl’s arm. Rosalie looked confused as the Devil slowly pulled her away from her grandfather.

“Have you ever noticed how warm Rosalie’s hands are?” Diana asked. She took hold of the girl’s right hand and placed it up against the old man’s chest. It was just about low enough that Rose could reach it.

“There is arcanite flowing in her veins,” Diana explained. “You granddaughter is gifted in magic.

I am certain that I could find a use for her in my temple. But she is indeed a bit too young for me to train right now.

Once I will have built a proper place of worship for my god – a place of education and enlightenment – I will have Rose trained in the art of healing.

Would you agree to such an offer?”

“You mean… she could become a priestess?”

“Yes,” Diana said. “Yes, she could – If Rose worked hard enough for it.

But can you promise me to keep her safe until I return for her?”

The old man nodded. “I will.”

“Do you swear it on your soul?” Diana asked.

“I swear,” the old man answered.

“Good,” Diana said, “That will be enough for me. You can sleep easy now, knowing that your granddaughter’s fate is in my hands. You will not be disappointed.

Alright, Rose,” Diana whispered to the girl, “I am going to borrow something from you and give it to your grandpa. Will you help me? I promise to return it to you later, but grandpa needs it a little more than you do right now.”

Little Rose slowly nodded.

“Good,” Diana smiled to encourage the girl. “Now close your eyes and push your hand as hard as you can.”

Rosalie did as she was told.

The old man was left unmoved by the puny weight of his granddaughter pushing up against him. But there was a low orange glow emanating from around the two hands on his chest.

Diana held the girl’s hand in place over the grandfather’s chest. She then plucked a strand of her raven black hair and stabbed it through the hand and into the old man’s heart.

Rosalie’s expression tensed as the little girl put all of her effort in keeping focus. Even as the glow slowly faded away, the girl did not dare to open her eyes and kept pressing her hand up against the old man’s heart.

“You can stop now,” Diana told her.

As the girl opened her eyes she found her grandfather staring at her in surprise.

“What– what did you do?” he asked.

How much did she take from the girl? Victorian wondered. And who will she take life away from to give it back to her?

Diana let go of the girl. “I have made it possible for you to keep you promise to me,” she said. “Your granddaughter still needs you to take care of her. Consider it a gift of time that you can spend together in this life. You should cherish it while it lasts.”

“My body,” the old man took a deep breath. “I feel… so much be–”

Little Rose collapsed into Diana’s arms.

The grandfather’s confusion turned to panic. “What has happened to her?!”

Victorian stirred in the corner. What has she done to the girl?

Diana examined the girl nestled in her arms. “Do not worry, she is fine. Magic can be very taxing on the caster – especially if she is not used to wielding it.”

Arcane fatigue, Victorian thought. So there really is arcanite in the girl’s blood.

“I see…” The old man placed his wrinkled palm on the girl’s forehead to check her temperature. He then moved it over her mouth to feel for hear breath.

Diana stood up with Rosalie in her hands.

“The girl is unlikely to regain consciousness for quite the while now,” she explained. “Where is her room?”

“My Lady, you don’t have to carry her yourself!” the old man objected.

“Nonsense,” Diana insisted. “Is it upstairs?”

The old man nodded and observed the woman leave the room. A moment later she returned without Rosalie.

“You should now live long enough to witness your granddaughter’s bright future,” Diana said as she headed for the exit. “But stay out of trouble – I can give you more time on this world, not good fortune.

If she studies hard and works as diligently, as you promised me, the girl could one day end up helping a lot of people. Make sure to keep Rose safe until I return for her.

Diana whispered to Victorian as she passed him by, “It is funny how much talent is wasted in this world simply because no one ever takes the time to seek it out.”

“Who are you, My Lady?” the old man asked.

Diana stopped in the doorway. “Right now?” she asked, “At the moment I am Victorian’s representative in this conflict between the nobles of the land. But I might be something else tomorrow.”

“Victorian?” the man asked in disbelief. “So the Rotwald line still lives?”

“It does,” Diana said and looked to the masked many by the door. “For now, anyway…”

“The Duke is a dangerous man,” the grandfather warned her.

“I know,” Diana answered. “And I am relying on it in more ways than one.”

The Devil gestured for Victorian to follow.

 “Wait!” The old man stumbled after her. “My Lady, you never mentioned it, but which god do you worship? Which god gives you such power?”

Diana looked back at him. “The only god that matters, of course: the only one that cares enough to help you and your little girl. And it is not a god of the Temple.”

She left the store, leaving the old man pondering her answer.

***

“What are your intentions for the girl, My Lady,” Victorian asked as they left the building behind. He was mindful of the Duke’s soldiers so kept his voice down.

“Nothing but the best, of course,” Diana answered. “Why do you ask? Does the child’s fate suddenly concern you?”

“Of course it does!” Victorian answered. “Is that sweet little girl to become another one of your assassins? Yet another ‘disposable’ tool? Is this how you recruit all of your servants?”

Diana halted. For the first time since Victorian had met her, he  expression conveyed annoyance.

“I am disappointed to hear you having so little faith in me,” Diana said. “I truly am. I thought that your own past experiences might have made it easier for you to understand my position, but I guess I was wrong. Yes, even I can make mistakes.”

Victorian stepped out in front of her. “I made my decision to join you,” he said, “But that girl in there clearly had no idea of what was happening. And her guardian had no way of knowing what he was resigning her to. How can you call that a choice?”

The Devil sighed. “I already told what my intentions for her were. I did not lie to him – I only withheld information that would have been detrimental to our encounter.”

“You did not tell him who you were or to what end the girl would serve you,” said Victorian. “I listened closely, My Lady, and I heard you tell him nothing.”

“And what would you have had me do?” Diana asked. “Confess to being the Devil? I don’t suspect it would have gone down quite as well as it did if I had outright introduced myself as one.”

The Captain of the Duke’s soldiers slowly approached them. “Excuse me, My Lady, but–”

“Oh, for the love of–” Diana gave him a furious look, “Go and stand in the corner!”

“Yes!” The Captain spun around and staggered for the closest corner he could find.

The other soldiers looked on in confusion as their commander took up his designated position in a manner similar to a disciplined child.

“All of you!” Diana ordered.

The Duke’s soldiers immediately complied with her demand and followed the example set by their commander. The men huddled together around their Captain at the corner of the nearby building.

“Is everything alright, Master?” Leonora called out to Diana.

“Stay where you are!” Diana snapped back at her. “You have caused me enough problems with your petty hatred already. Stay out of this conversation. All of you!”

She turned her furious gaze back to Victorian. “Take off your helmet!” Diana ordered. “No one is watching us right now.”

Victorian complied and removed it.

“Look at your miserable world, Victorian. Look at how far placing your faith in angels and gods and ‘good feelings’ has gotten you: Your lord is dead. Your soldiers are dead.” The Devil waved at the row of vacant buildings spanning the length of the street, “Your city is dead.”

Diana lowered her voice. “You are dead, Victorian. Did you notice that? You died a few days ago in the crypt, remember? You are no longer the man you were before we met.”

“I remember our contract,” Victorian said. “You did not tell me about how you were going to endanger my people!”

“But you took my offer anyway,” Diana pointed out. “You didn’t ask me to elaborate any further.”

“Because you promised me that we would not be destroying the lives of the innocent. You told me that I wouldn’t have to do things that I would consider unjustifiable. And now you are drafting children – that is not something that I can approve of!”

Diana frowned. “You wanted to make the world a better place, right?”

“I still do, My Lady–”

“Then was it my fault as well that you died? Was it me who caused all of this to happen? Did I kill that girl’s parents? Did I create the situation in which that poor old man had to consider giving up his only living relative to a complete stranger?

“No, but–”

Yes, I am the bloody Devil, and yes, I am willing to do pretty much anything to get my way in this world. But I think that you have gotten one crucial thing about me wrong, Victorian: I do no shatter the dreams and lives of you people along the way on my conquest of this miserable place that you call a home. I am here to sift through whatever is left once you have made your own terrible life choices – your selfish, foolish choices that only ever seem to result in more misery for you and those around you.

How nice it must be when you can blame the Devil for it all in the end, when it was you own damned fault all along!

People will always suffer, Victorian. It is in their nature to make bad decisions. But they will suffer a lot less if I do things my way, even if I must draft children for the coming wars, because if I don’t, then someone else will. Five, ten or twenty years old – it does not matter, because we all grow up in the end. We are all in this cycle together, whether we like it or not.

Do you really think that there is any chance for this thousand year nightmare to end without immense bloodshed? Do you have any idea of the choices that I have had to make up until this point?

I am already standing on mountains of the dead. Not piles – not mounds – not hills, Victorian. I am standing on top of a mountain of my victims so tall that I could push you off of it and watch you die of starvation before you hit the ground. That is the amount of death and misery required to make this right. Nothing else will be enough.

I have learned to accept that. That is why I can make the decisions that I do. That is why the lives of the few have no value in my eyes when compared to the lives of the many. If a hundred men must die so that a thousand might live, then be it. I will cut them down without hesitation and still sleep soundly afterwards.

That is the harsh truth of what it takes to fix this insane world right about now, Victorian. Anything less at this point will simply result in a failure. There is no easy way to go about changing the course of your destiny and there sure as Oblivion is no moral high ground to be had while doing it. Your deranged, petty degenerates of gods have made sure of that.

And the mortal races were far too quick to follow their example. You lost your claim for righteousness the day your ancestors started sacrificing your own children to the gods in your foolish attempt at appeasing them. And your gods lost their claim to greatness the day they took it for granted.

Now, if I cared about the people’s opinions of me then I would not have chosen this path towards my goals. Like it or not, but I am your last and best chance at redemption, and I will do whatever is necessary to force it upon you no matter the cost, because it is ultimately the generations yet unborn that will see my actions justified. You are free to call me evil, but they will thank me for it.

“I am– well aware that our world is rotten to the core,” Victorian said, “But that girl in there–”

“That girl in there was going to die before her grandfather!”

The Devil’s reply stumped Victorian.

“Do you know why she passed out, Victorian? It wasn’t because of the spell caster’s fatigue. She didn’t cast any spells in there. Rose is no prodigy, only an average child with some small gift that, if properly nurtured, could one day give her the ability wield her arcane power.

Possibly; maybe – I don’t know. It depends on how hard she works at it. Even then, only if the stars align or if I take the time to personally cultivate her ability, which is bloody unlikely since I, apparently, have to run all of my decisions by you first from now on, oh great paragon of men. The moral compass of mankind: you are broken – the Oblivion is where your needle is pointing and I am trying to turn you away from it!

Why do you resist me?”

Diana took the opportunity to catch her breath as she turned to facing the shop. She continued speaking in a much calmer manner.

“Rose was sick,” Diana said. “She collapsed because of what I did to her. I changed her, perhaps for the better, perhaps for the worse. The results remain to be seen.”

Victorian was struggling to swallow the butter lump in his throat. What else can I say after all that? He recognized the merit in her words, but that did not make it right.

“I am taking responsibility for her life,” Diana said. “I choose to risk disappointment whenever I accept the promises and vows of loyalty from anyone wishing to serve me. You have been no exception on that front.”

“Why–” Victorian cleared his throat. “Why do you even need me if you know that I will disappoint you?”

Diana took a deep breath. “If I wanted to destroy this world, I wouldn’t need help from anyone. Even if it would take me a thousand years, I would scour this land of all life.

But destroying is easy. Building, however, takes time, effort and, most importantly, cooperation. I cannot build the new world alone. I need others for that. Even righteous fools like you can serve a purpose.”

Victorian fell down on one knee before Diana and bowed his head. “I don’t understand what you want,” he said. “I am trying to figure it out, but… It has all been so sudden. Gods, devils, the Titans – I don’t know why you do these things.

Please, whatever your intentions are, do not harm my people. If you can promise me that, I will lay down my life for you.”

“Well, you already promised me that,” Diana said, “But fine, I suppose... I vow to try and preserve as much life as possible as I conquer this land.

Does that satisfy you?” she asked.

“Yes,” Victorian answered.

“Very well,” The Devil said. “Let us finally grace the Duke with our presence and end this once and for all.

Come, Victorian, we have a funeral feast to attend to.”