Steel and Mana

Chapter 350 – Lucca & Kiva

The Camelot was slowly making its way back towards home, carrying our mech under its belly while the army was marching below us. We had time, and just like my Uncle, I wanted the people of Ishillia to see us. To ensure they understand, Avalon, as they still know it, the Frontier is already different. I knew they would need time to realize and comprehend that it was no longer part of Ishillia, but the image of my flying fortress should make it easier to remember.

But, right now, I had something else to focus on.

With Merlin at my side, we were entertaining our two guests. We were bringing them back to Avalon, and it was this trip that would decide what we would do with them. Did I trust them? No. But... Merlin was right. Mages are rare, and with so many dead, it would be a waste to kill them. If there is a chance to turn them... I am willing to try it.

We were seated at a long, metal table, Kiva and Lucca sitting opposite us. Looking at the two, they were clearly different, both in temperament and training. I could notice the nervousness on Kiva's face and in his eyes, but I also saw that he was accepting of whatever was going to be his fate. He just wanted to get over with it, disliking the fact that he hadn't been told his sentence yet. On the other hand, Lucca's expression was unreadable. Serene. Maybe even stoic.

For a long moment after we sat down, there was nothing but silence. The only sound was the faint vibration of the Camelot’s body as we traveled or the sound of our clothes rustling as I leaned forward, my voice finally dispelling the uncomfortable silence.

“I assume that you both understand why you’re here.”

"We do." Lucca nodded his head faintly, more amused than anything. “We lost,” he said simply. “And now you’re deciding if we’re worth keeping or we are up for being scrapped.”

“You’re quick,” Merlin murmured, his voice carrying a hint of dry amusement. “That bodes well for you.”

None of them said anything after that; they simply stared at us. Kiva raised his hand, rubbing where the sealing bracelet was scraping against his skin. Of course, they still had them on, four per person, because I wasn't sure what to expect from them. Just by thinking about Mikan, they may have Pascal's consciousness hiding somewhere within. I wouldn't be surprised! So... I was thinking of giving them a permanent tattoo just to be safe. I don't know how much they knew about that part, though. But... Oh well, we are here to find out everything.

"Well..." I shrugged as I watched them both turn their eyes towards me. “I’ll be direct. You two are among the last high-ranking remnants of Ishillia’s magical elite, probably the last powerful mages the Empire had. With Pascal gone, his empire or his supposed dreams are gone. You are, for all intents and purposes, relics of a dead order. In more ways than one." I chuckled, knowing they were, on paper, multiple centuries old. "I have no obligation to keep you alive,” I added as a finishing touch, letting my words linger while also gauging their reactions. Lucca’s calm expression didn’t waver, but Kiva’s fingers curled slightly, betraying the tension beneath.

"But!" Merlin tilted his head, studying them and following the script we agreed upon before starting this interrogation. “But death isn’t the only option.”

"Sure." Kiva finally scoffed, speaking up. His voice was low, tinged with bitterness. “You think others would allow us to live? I doubt that.”

"Probably." I agreed as I shrugged, my tone becoming pragmatic. “But they also don't need to know you lived. Look, I dislike wasting good resources, and right now, you two are that. Possible, useful resources. Dangerous ones, but worthwhile nonetheless.”

“At least you are honest about it,” Lucca muttered, shaking his head with a low chuckle.

"Unlike Pascal, I gather," I asked, raising a brow. “Hm?”

“Yes,” he answered, without anger and with a half-smile. “I appreciate the straightforwardness.”

"At least we have honor." Merlin snorted while he folded his arms, his expression carrying a bit of smugness. “I also wonder if you find all of this amusing because you’ve already resigned yourself to death or because you believe you’re indispensable.”

“I just like knowing where I stand.” Lucca met his gaze evenly, his tone light but his eyes becoming sharp. “If you were going to execute us, it would have happened already. So here we are, having this talk. I already deduced that our death would only come if we refused to even listen. Otherwise, you two would try to bring us to your side. Which is understandable.”

"Just kill me if this would put another collar on me." Kiva exhaled sharply, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. “If you think I will become a hound dog once again––”

“Aren't you used to it? Or... What exactly did you stand for? It couldn't be anything unique and original, no?” I interrupted him, my voice measured evenly, looking into his eyes. “Was it Pascal’s vision? A decayed empire built on the suffering of its own people? Defending your home? You weren’t protecting Ishillia, you know—you were only protecting his ego and thirst for power. You were nothing but living batteries or buffers for later.”

I saw how Kiva’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The words struck a nerve, though he refused to let it anger him. He had spent years following orders, believing in a cause that now lay in ruins, smashed in just a moment, and it was still hard for him to come to terms with it. The thought of it made his stomach churn... so I wasn't outraged. He was confused. He needed more time to settle down, unlike Lucca, who seemingly knew this from the start.

"My Sovereign is right." Merlin leaned in, his voice softer but no less cutting into his thoughts. “Do you even know who you were fighting for, Kiva? Because we do better than you, four did. He had no future for you. If he had survived, you would’ve been discarded like every other pawn before you, consumed to keep up his vitality.”

Finally, Kiva looked away, his gaze fixed on the table instead. His entire life had been devoted to following Pascal's orders, to ensuring the survival of a cause that had been told to trust all his life. Yet at the end... He was indeed thrown away. He had to realize that he had no cause. No matter. No direction. Never really did. The thought made him sick. Angry... Depressed.

“Your silence speaks volumes,” I shrugged, my tone devoid of judgment but heavy with implication.

"We know." Lucca exhaled slowly, tapping his fingers against the table in a rhythm akin to giving a sign for Kiva to start regulating his breathing, easing his friend's turmoil. “Let’s say we consider this proposal of yours, accepting of becoming tools again. What does ‘useful’ mean to you... Sovereign of Avalon?”

"Easy!" I answered without hesitation. “It means you prove your knowledge is worth keeping you alive. We don’t need your loyalty. We don’t need your friendship. But we may need your expertise. And, if we can work together nicely, the former two may come later.”

"If you are worthy of our friendship, that is." Merlin nodded, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Your understanding of tactics. Your knowledge of war, formation arrays, and direct knowledge from Pascal.”

"Why not ask Mirian Ishillia to access our dead Master's collection?" He asked, furrowing his brows, not understanding why we were talking with them about this.

"You misunderstand." Merlin shook his head, "We don't need that anymore. My Sovereign already has that knowledge. What I listed, we need because you would be a perfect candidate to pass it down to our people. Such an experienced teacher is always hard to come by! Which, of course, goes true for both of you."

"Teacher...?" Kiva stared at the table, his mind racing. He had always been a soldier, a tool wielded by Pascal. Unlike Lucca, who knew it since Morningstar's fate was sealed, he had just begun to realize that. Now, he was being offered a chance to survive... and become something else? Was it really this easy? Nod in acknowledgment and teach his new owner's people what he knows? That's all?

"Hmmm..." Lucca, drawing in a deep breath, broke the sudden silence. “You’d keep us locked up,” he stated rather than asked.

“Of course,” I confirmed. “Years of it. Full surveillance. Your magic will remain bound at all times. You will never be free in the way you once were.”

"..." Kiva's sudden suspicion began fading after hearing me say it, I could tell.

“And if we refuse?” Lucca asked again.

"Easy." Merlin’s eyes darkened, and the air seemed to grow heavier. “Then you will be executed as war criminals. Publicly.”

“I see.” Lucca nodded, scanning both of our eyes, trying to see how much of our words were true and how much of it was deception.

"Your choice." I met his gaze, keeping up the eye contact. “But I don’t have time for sentimentality. The world is moving forward, with or without you. Decide.”

Leaning back, A long silence stretched between the two, broken only by the hum of the Camelot's body as we kept moving. Finally, it was Kiva who began asking questions, his voice surprisingly calm for how he looked only a few minutes ago.

“And if we accept? What guarantee do we have that we won’t be discarded the moment we’re no longer useful and that we taught everything we know to your people?”

"That's a good question," my lips curled slightly. "You don’t get any proof, only my promise.”

"That––" He wanted to say something, but his friend raised a hand sitting next to him.

"He isn't lying." Lucca let out a slow breath, his barely visible smile fading into something more contemplative. “He is being honest. I can respect that.”

"If you say so..." Kiva looked at his old friend, then back at us. His expression, once again, was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—anger, resignation, and a faint, desperate hope that he refused to acknowledge. A hope that he may live.

"It is a better alternative than dying a useless death," Lucca added, not to us but to Kiva.

"It is." I agreed, leaning back and crossing my arms, "I assume you are agreeing to our offer?"

"We might as well... we already lost everything, so it is not like we are betraying Ishillia." Lucca sighed, shaking his head.

"Betrayal..." Kiva murmured, suddenly remembering something that made him wince, which reminded me of what Mikan told me.

"It is not really betrayal." I chuckled, glancing once at Merlin, "I am on friendly terms with the new Ishillia, not to mention I have two ties to the old one."

"What... ties?" Kiva asked, and I saw that Lucca also became curious, although he was masking it very well.

"For starters," I said nonchalantly, "My wife, Mikan, the one you already met, is the descendant of the Morningstar I heard you both knew!"

"...!" Kiva's body immediately stiffened, and suddenly, a realization burned brightly in his eyes.

"I see..." Lucca whispered, biting his lower lip a little.

"There is more." I continued, "Morningstar herself was within her."

"What?!" Kiva yelled, almost standing up, but then the soldiers within the room stepped in, pushing him back down so hard that I could swear I heard his shoulders crack.

"Long story short," I fingered the table, drawing circles while smiling. "Both Morningstar and Pascal were working on the formation of the Emperor of Magic, of his ultimate spell... Reincarnation. But both of them botched it."

"Reincarnation..." Lucca muttered, his eyes darting left and right, putting things together. "I see... I see..."

"Thing is, Morningstar also failed, so... she is no longer with us. Neither is Pascal." I explained, "They were doomed the moment they tried to replicate Merlin's spell. Without understanding how it works and its price... They were never to succeed."

The moment I said Merlin, both of their eyes were on Merlin, who simply chuckled, leaning back, saying nothing, letting their thoughts do the explanation.

"We still need days to return home." I stood up, suddenly ending the meeting between us. "You will give me your answer when the Camelot gets home. I don't need reasons! I just need a yes or no. If yes, you will become my subordinates. If no, then we will hold a trial for your sins and kill you. It is that simple. One way or another..." I looked into their eyes. "You will atone. For everything."