The Kind of Evil-Chapter 244: Plotting. (End of Volume.3)

‎Xena was basking under the bright moonlight, with the snow hitting her face. Everything looked peaceful except the expression and her gaze. They were filled with anger and hatred, something that she never thought she had within her.

‎"Lady Xena," Thalior said as he stood behind Xena, far enough to give her some personal space. "May I have a few words with you?" He asked calmly.

‎"I don't need some convincing, Your Grace. I'm not blinded enough to believe that there's another way. I hate that he's the only one who can do it," Xena said as she stared at the sky, her eyes became empty as she remembered the faces of her knights that died during the battle.

‎Thalior was relieved and yet saddened by the fact that Xena realized that. Xena could easily accept Rasmus's words without considering it further, but Thalior also knew that it would be foolish in this kind of situation.

‎"He planned everything... All the way to this moment, Your Grace," Xena muttered as she blinked slowly. "If that man had planned everything from the very beginning, and this outcome was what he desired, how far did that man have planned everything?" She asked as she slowly turned around to look at Thalior.

‎"His words when he said that he had the arsenal, the power. Anyone who has power has the luxury to bend people's will, it's the truth that we know, and we use that in a way. He's saying a fact that we took for granted and used it against us in a way to make us feel uncomfortable," Thalior said as he looked up at the sky. "We lost not only to the demons, but we lost to Rasmus's words and influence. However, at this moment, we are just a peasant following the lord's will, nothing else," he continued as he looked down at the ground.

There was only silence after Thalior revealed the harsh truth that they were facing. They both tried to steel their minds before they had to go back inside to deal with Rasmus and his dangerous mind.

"Your Grace, what if I'm right about him?" Xena asked as she looked around at the peaceful village she was in. "That he's playing with both sides, that he made some kind of a deal with the demons and the emissary?" She glanced at Thalior with her brows furrowed.

"Honestly, I would rather ask him why than confront him," Thalior answered as he put his hands behind his back. "He doesn't care about morals, your ideals, your thoughts, your feelings, or even your situation. You're wasting your time if you want to confront him, but if you ask him, he will tell you why. He's that kind of person, someone who answers questions without a single lie, however, he's the type who's hiding half of the truth," he explained as he turned around to look at the inn and at the window on the second floor.

"So we have to accept it like it's a normal thing once we can prove his connection with the emissary and the demons, Your Grace?" Xena raised her brows, surprised and disappointed by Thalior's answer.

"The fact that we are here, following his orders and agreeing with his methods, what's normal here, My Lady? Someone like him isn't normal. In fact, I'm sure you too haven't met anyone like him," Thalior stared right into Xena's eyes. "He doesn't care if we follow him or not, but we do care, for humanity and everyone's survival. You don't know him as much as I do, but I can assure you, he's beyond your understanding," he added.

Xena took a deep breath and tried to clear her mind. She didn't want to make an enemy or a conflict with someone who wasn't her enemy to begin with. She lowered her head and processed Thalior's words and remembered the grave mistake he had made that caused the war and the discord in South Neva. It was all because he didn't listen to Rasmus's words and went for his ideals, which cost peace and brought suffering to countless lives.

"At this moment, we might be powerless since we are on the battlefield, but we are beyond a commander on the battlefield, we are leaders of our own nations. We hold power there, not him. If you want to prevent him, then I do too, but this isn't the right moment," Thalior said with a serious expression and stared into Xena's eyes. "We don't know how far he has planned everything, but if we work together, with the others, we can try to maintain his influence," he added, but in a quiet voice.

Xena took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. It took her a moment before her eyes fluttered open and she looked at Thalior. She then gave a small nod at him, agreeing that she, the leader of the Servil faction who had stayed neutral and didn't side with any powerhouse in South Neva, had agreed to form an alliance with the South Neva Union.

They both decided to walk into the inn, but they were surprised to see Novia there, sitting at the table with a mug of beer in her hand. She stared at them, her eyes telling them that she had listened to their conversation.

"If I told my Master and Saint Astrea about what Rasmus did, using the disguise of their faces, I believe they will join hands with you two," Novia said with a serious expression. "My Master has been keeping an eye on him, for the same reason as yours. I also know that Her Holiness is interested in him, which can maintain his influence in Neva," she continued.

Thalior and Xena shared a look and didn't expect Novia to be on board with their plan. Xena gave a nod to Thalior, and then Thalior looked at Novia for a brief moment before he gave her a nod, telling her that she was welcome to join them.

The three of them went upstairs and got into the room to be with Rasmus and Aris once again. They were staring at Rasmus, who was casually reading a book on the table with a lantern next to his hands.

"So? Have you all decided what you're going to do?" Rasmus asked without having to look back at them.

"Yes, we are going to play by your rules, but we have one condition. Don't keep us in the dark like this," Thalior answered as he stared at Rasmus being absorbed by the book in his hand.

"So you want to know if thousands of your men will die for the sake of my plan?" Rasmus asked again.

Thalior's eyes flinched, and his fists clenched, but then he took a deep breath as he loosened up his fists. He glanced at Xena, and she didn't show any reaction, however, she closed her eyes, accepting it heavy-heartedly.

"Yes, at least we know that it will be my responsibility, and that I can treat them better before they face death," Thalior answered as he nodded.

"I promise that I won't put all of you in the dark," Rasmus nodded as he flipped the page and kept reading.

At that moment, Xena realized Rasmus's personality was based on what she heard from Thalior. She could see what Thalior said about Rasmus that he wasn't the type who lied, and would answer questions without sugarcoating anything. Although she was disturbed by it, she hated to admit that he could be trustworthy and cooperative, unlike those people who rejected suggestions because they were superior to them.

"What now? What's our next move?" Novia asked as she stared at Rasmus coldly.

"What now? Rest," Rasmus closed the book as he turned around from his chair to look at the three of them. "It's late, and all of you just escaped death from the battlefield this morning," he said as he got up from his chair. "I'm not that heartless to let you all stay awake knowing that all of you are exhausted," he smiled at them and then walked toward the door.

The three of them turned around and watched Rasmus grab the door handle, but when they thought he was going to leave, he slowly turned around to look at them. He stared them in the eyes before he raised his index finger and narrowed his eyes.

"Next time, if you want to plot something behind my back, you should do it somewhere far away. I overheard everything," Rasmus said with a stoic expression. "However, I don't really mind it, about what you're going to do. In fact, I'm grateful," he continued as he crossed his arms.

The three of them felt like they were on edge, and their backs began to sweat.

"You want to control my influence, right? Please do. It's more beneficial for me," Rasmus said and stared at Thalior. "Just imagine that a hunter is looking for a lion to hunt, but when they find one, the lion is already in a cage, guarded by other hunters. It's better to be caged by hunters who try to keep the forest safe from the lion than being hunted by a hunter who plans to kill the lion," he smiled at them before he left the room.

The three of them were speechless and didn't know how to react or how to feel. They were relieved that Rasmus didn't mind being controlled by them, but somehow it felt like they were only giving him what he wanted.

(At the same time, in a throne room)

Kiel and Yaza looked at the Prime Lord, who was badly injured, barely alive, as if he had lost a big chunk of his life from escaping. They heard everything from the Prime Lord, and couldn't believe they were wrong about the one who killed a Demon King. The fact that Uriel, Astrea, and Lenin were capable of killing a Demon King and harming a Prime Lord was beyond Kiel's expectations.

"Those three were unharmed? That means we don't have a choice but to use everything that we have built here," Kiel glanced at Yaza, who was observing the king's head in his hand. "The news must have spread widely, and who knows how many more strong humans that will come to get rid of us," he pointed out.

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"What choice do we have?" Yaza asked as he dropped the king's head, and then grabbed the young man's head from the ground.

"A war, a total war. If we can get rid of those three even with the cost of everything, it's our win," Kiel answered.

"Hmm, it's a shame, but I guess I have to show my failed creations to the world," Yaza muttered as he kept observing the head in his palm. "Let's get rid of them," he glanced at Kiel and crushed the head.