In the end, Don Quixote and Duq'arael didn't part ways immediately.
They left Scar Market together. Nearl watched the two who had just been fighting fiercely walking side-by-side, falling into a prolonged silence.
Eventually, she sighed.
Well, I suppose I'm used to it by now. After all, it's Don Quixote.
Meanwhile, Don Quixote and Duq'arael exited Scar Market and found a place to settle in Kazdel. There, they began a long, thoughtful conversation.
Their ideals weren't exactly aligned.
Yet, because of their previous wager, Duq'arael was willing to hear Don Quixote's beliefs, his thoughts—
—and his dream.
Duq'arael chose to listen, offering this Bloodfiend who was stronger than himself, yet burdened by an even more tragic nature, a chance to express himself.
Their conversation stretched from the afternoon into the dark of night. Hours quietly passed as their words flowed freely.
And even Duq'arael had to admit—Don Quixote's dream…
…Was astonishingly bright.
It was so dazzling that even Duq'arael felt a momentary flicker of doubt.
The brilliance of that dream was powerful enough to overshadow reality itself.
They talked at length about everything: the differences between City Bloodfiends and Terra's Bloodfiends, Kazdel's current situation, the peace negotiations, Don Quixote's future plans, his ongoing adventures, and where he might go next…
They spoke of everything openly and freely.
Thus, through this exchange of ideas, their conversation, interwoven with laughter and contemplation, carried them deep into the night—and onward until the dawn broke once more.
---
In stark contrast to Don Quixote's leisurely evening, Suo hadn't closed his eyes all night, constantly occupied with affairs concerning the Index.
From his observations, it seemed Don Quixote had unintentionally smoothed relations with Kazdel's upper levels. Although accidental, it relieved Suo of another hassle.
This allowed him to fully concentrate on establishing the Index's foundation.
It had to happen quickly. Time was short—Theresis and Theresa were close to announcing a ceasefire. Suo needed the Index's presence firmly established before then.
He even went so far as to request a batch of [Ampoules] and [Enkephalin] from The City to temporarily bolster their fighting strength.
Soon, countless Instructions reached households throughout Kazdel.
The Proselytes worked diligently alongside Suo, distributing Instructions tirelessly. For a time, the city was caught up in a fervent enthusiasm over these mysterious notes.
More and more people began hoping to join the Index, though Suo had already decided against further recruitment. They had enough people for now.
Once Suo had verified the Index's influence in Kazdel, he shifted focus to securing weapons and equipment from The City, gradually arming the Index.
Despite only a few days' development, the Index had gained significant popularity among Kazdel's lower classes.
Many citizens had begun to revere the Instructions themselves, grateful toward the Index for distributing Instructions and safeguarding their lives.
By now, Suo felt confident of one crucial thing: should anything happen, if Instructions were issued without directly harming their interests, the citizens would absolutely follow them.
Long-term, this wasn't enough. The Index's ultimate goal was to ensure these people obeyed without question—even if commanded to jump into a fire pit. But for now, it sufficed.
It was enough for Suo's immediate purposes.
Having confirmed this, Suo finally released a long breath, slightly relaxing his vigilance.
The next steps were straightforward. Once Theresis announced the ceasefire, bringing an end to the civil war, Suo's preparations would naturally come into play.
---
"Oh? Both sides have settled things already?"
At that moment, within Theresis's office, Heal lay lazily sprawled across the desk. She yawned, then suddenly sat up straight, murmuring quietly to herself.
"What are you talking about?"
Theresis turned, furrowing his brows at Heal.
"Oh, nothing important—just noticing that some matters seem wrapped up," Heal waved dismissively. A familiar, merchant-like grin emerged on her face.
"So, have you finished considering my offer?"
"Regarding…the purchase of [Ampoules]."
Theresis fell briefly silent upon hearing her words.
He knew for certain that countries like Victoria would hardly stand idly by. Their reactions would surely involve warfare.
In other words, Kazdel would inevitably face war again.
And at this critical juncture, Heal had approached Theresis with an offer.
Money, land, authority—or perhaps something else entirely. K Corp desired everything, and in return offered Kazdel a massive quantity of Ampoules.
Heal had described it as a special deal. With just a modest payment to K Corp, Kazdel could obtain these Ampoules. They were slightly weaker than previous varieties, yet fully adequate for warfare.
They could even sustain a virtually immortal army—limited in number but persistent.
However…acquiring such vast quantities inevitably raised an issue:
Where exactly would the money come from?
Frontline supplies would undoubtedly become extremely scarce. Theresis had to carefully consider how to address this dilemma.
Kazdel, ravaged by a prolonged civil war, could scarcely afford K Corp's price. But without K Corp's support, their chances of winning would grow increasingly slim.
Contemplating this, Theresis felt an acute headache coming on.
He glanced over at Heal, who was smiling expectantly at him. Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, he asked her carefully:
"You mentioned earlier…payment methods weren't limited to money, correct?"
"Yes, naturally," Heal replied smoothly.
"Then please answer me this—"
"Would you be willing to accept a portion of Kazdel's future political standing…in exchange for your immediate assistance?"