"Hellagur, cheer up. At the very least, you've proven your loyalty to Ursus once again, haven't you?"
"…Duke Kashchey."
"Oh~ no need to point that blade at me. You should know better than anyone what it means to draw your weapon against a Duke."
"…"
"That's better. General Hellagur… you should feel fortunate. At least you weren't part of your friend's little scheme. Otherwise, your name would've been on the list as well~"
"…Kashchey! How much do you know!?"
"That's not the tone one should take when speaking to a superior, you know~ Oh, wait—how careless of me. You're a renowned general now, no longer the nameless soldier once under my command."
"…"
"Don't look at me like that. Your dear friend plotted Ursus's downfall. To the Empire, he's nothing short of a traitor."
"He did not betray Ursus."
"Who's to say? I don't particularly care. Every one of you believes Ursus should run according to your own ideals—hating the infected, craving war, worshipping the Emperor… all these are pieces of Ursus itself. You can change them if you wish, but you must also bear the consequences."
"…You know all this. You also don't want the war to go on endlessly."
"So what would you have me do? Step out of the shadows, command the Emperor, manipulate the Parliament, enlighten the ignorant masses—and force my values upon them?"
"…"
"I'm indifferent, Hellagur. War itself is merely politics given form. Its benefits and its costs—who can ever make sense of them?"
"…Your Grace, I don't wish to debate philosophy with you. I am a soldier, unfit to spar with words. I only want to know—how much do you actually know about all this?"
"Hm~ Let's put it this way. I've long been aware of your friend's plan to make Ursus fall."
"…"
"No need to fear. I have no intention of striking you down."
"…Why?"
"Hmm?"
"You could have stopped it all. If you are the embodiment of war itself, you could have changed everything before the tragedy ever began! Those soldiers didn't have to die in vain! If peace was truly your goal, then with your power—"
"Shh~ You shouldn't say such things aloud. My loyalty to His Majesty shines as bright as the sun and moon."
"…You don't care for Ursus at all. You just want to see it rot."
"Think what you like. By the way, I hear he entrusted you with a little infected girl. What was her name again? Ah~ Neon, wasn't it?"
"…"
"Haha, why so surprised? Go on, then. That little one was left in your care by your dearest friend, after all~"
"…Duke Kashchey, will you at least tell me what it is you're truly after?"
"Who knows~ Off you go now. If someone else were to find that little girl, I'm afraid she'd be… dealt with."
Stop Ursus?
Haven't you all already done that for me?
To sacrifice everything just to achieve such an end… how fascinating you are.
---
In Reunion's temporary camp, inside Patriot's tent—
After hearing Talulah's explanation, Hellagur said nothing.
He was far past the age of youthful passion.
Once, long ago, he had stood beneath the flag of Ursus, moved to his core by the Emperor's speech.
The Emperor had promised them that wars filled with victory and glory would bring them everything they desired.
The glory of Ursus, he said, demanded the effort of every citizen.
He would grant his people peace and prosperity.
He would erase the divisions between races.
He would make Ursus stand above all other nations.
Anyone can paint a dream.
But making it real—that's another matter.
Hellagur no longer cared how Talulah intended to change the fate of the infected.
True, he agreed with her belief that violence was sometimes necessary to protect them—but so what?
At best, they were merely clinging to survival.
Talulah's ambitions were far too distant, so far that Hellagur could no longer see any hope in them.
What he truly wanted to know—was what Talulah thought of Duke Kashchey.
For that Duke's image, in Hellagur's mind, was far too complex to define.
He was a commander who cared deeply for his subordinates—one who would personally step onto the battlefield, using his Originium Arts to shield his soldiers from harm.
He was also a politician who viewed terran life with indifference—one who could calmly watch his troops march toward certain death, so long as his own position remained untouched.
At times, he was kind and gentle.
At other times, cold and merciless.
Contradictory. Complex. Divided.
That was the image of Duke Kashchey in Hellagur's mind.
If one were to weigh his deeds—his merits against his sins…
No, who could ever truly judge the rights and wrongs of Kashchey?
---
"You want to know about my childhood?"
Talulah's tone wavered slightly, her expression a little stiff.
After Patriot's introduction, she quickly understood who the white-haired man before her was.
One of Ursus's generals…
Talulah undeniably wished to earn his approval.
As someone who admired Azazel's medical expertise and the general's wealth of military knowledge, she could not help but feel a pang of envy.
But she also knew—some things couldn't be forced.
Not to mention, he was a friend of Patriot's.
And Talulah herself never wanted to drag every infected into an endless war.
She only sought to gather those who shared her ideals, to work together toward improving the lives of the infected.
There was no doubt—she was an idealist.
But… was that truly wrong?
Or perhaps, in this land, idealists were nothing more than dreamers chasing illusions beneath the blazing sun.
---
"I'm not sure… what is it you wish to hear?" Talulah asked carefully.
Just days ago, she had fought Kashchey.
A flicker of guilt and unease crossed her heart.
The guilt came from striking him—perhaps harder than she should have.
The unease came from not knowing whether this man before her had come to speak on Kashchey's behalf.
After all, in the eyes of many Ursus citizens, Kashchey's name still carried great weight.
"…Just tell me about the moments that left the deepest impression," Hellagur replied politely.
After all, the young woman before him was, in name, a subordinate of his old acquaintance.
"…Then, I'll begin."
Talulah let out a quiet sigh of relief.
It seemed he wasn't here to make things difficult for her.
She glanced nervously toward Patriot—only to meet those calm, crimson eyes watching her in silence.
He, too, was curious.
Talulah drew in a slow, steadying breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking.
"To be honest… I never truly understood Kashchey."
She paused for a moment, then continued softly—
"But I can tell you about the man I believed Kashchey to be."