When one path lead to the darkness of a prison, it was already too late to tell oneself that it was not the right path to follow. Yet, Dragee didn’t feel that way. He was certain that all of this was a misunderstanding, that he could still do something about this mess.

The project Friture proposed to the Chief Researcher and the First General was just too good to be disposed of, thrown under the carpet like a detestable bug and forgotten for the sole excuse that it granted immortality to anyone affected by it. Sorry, he meant ‘prevented death’.

If the project was so beneficial to the country, and if they were the first one to discover about its application, then why would the First General call for the execution of Friture and the banning of divine energy-related study? It didn’t make any sense. If Dragee was less courteous, he would call this move as a stupid one. All the pros where on their side, so why would they doubt any of it?

He wanted to do something to bring the project to the light. He had to. But he couldn’t do anything, imprisoned behind a wall of iron bars, and chained like a criminal sentenced to perpetuity. His cell only offered a minable bed of straw, no window to follow the daily cycles and illuminate the grim indoor. It was a place made to be forgotten.

“Prisoner n° 14, here’s your food.”

Since he entered the prison, this was his new nickname. Prisoner n° 14, following the rule of renaming prisoner with their cell’s number at their arrival. In the end, it was easier to remember a set of digits instead of complicated names.

A dry bread on a plate and a cup of water was placed in front of the door. This was the meal generously given to people that were said to be dead from the world outside, a way to remind them that it didn’t ask much to refuse it, because living in those conditions would be more painful to the spirit than embracing death.

Accept the end, or continue to live on? Of course, Dragee lived here for only a few days. Even a person without any charge on him could survive without much scars on their mind. However, it was still an extremely dulling life, surrounded by nothing but stones, iron and darkness. He swallowed the bread and drank the tepid water one at a time. He wasn’t so impatient as to choke on it, as he now had all the time he wanted to enjoy the only thing that intruded his thoughts for now.

Since his incarceration, all his worries laid on the well-being of the small scientist he helped flee the country. Was he safe? He couldn’t help but imagine a lot of scenarios for this guy. What if he got eaten by a plant on his way? What if he met ruffians that decided to kidnap him? What if a mysterious merchant sold him a dubious potion that rendered him disabled in some way? Wait, that last one was just a fairy tale made to scare children, it couldn’t happen here.

His thoughts were in complete chaos, he couldn’t find solace as long as Friture was in danger.

A commotion brought him back from his slumbering unease. People were talking, it seemed like the jailers were busy all of a sudden. Maybe he could eavesdrop on them, maybe he couldn’t. That wasn’t important, or maybe it was. Should he care? But if he tried to devise a plan to escape, what would he become next? First a traitor, then a fugitive? His career as a knight-in-training was already doomed enough like this, so maybe he shouldn’t dig anymore his own grave like this.

“Prisoner n° 14! You’ve got a visitor!”

“…Eh?”

A visitor? Who would visit him in this dire state of his? His family was already informed of his doings, he knew they wouldn’t even move an inch to come and check with their son.

“Maybe mom would… If she wasn’t sick.”

But there, a grand figure stood in front of his cell. Despite the lack of luminosity, his few years of duty in the army still burned this person in his memory as someone he should admire.

“F-F-First General?!”

He instantly rose from his bed, saluting the general out of habit and respect. As a criminal, he was released from all his bonds and responsibilities from the military obligations, however all of it was still too fresh to completely remove every speck of loyalty and discipline he accumulated over his trainings.

Of course, Paladron guessed it easily, but didn’t say anything about it. As a general in charge of all armies of the kingdom of Biscotti, and while the peace seemed to sustain itself between them and the galetteans, he had to verify both the tranquillity of the borders and the continuity of the recruitments for future reinforcements.

He also had to maintain the public order in each town, and for that, militias patrolling their own hometown was the best solution. And just to make sure everything didn’t go astray, he always appointed a group of knights in each garrison to act as leaders in case of emergency. With this system, he secured important roles which required dutiful, loyal and efficient manpower, while assuring the inner stability of the kingdom.

Obviously he couldn’t manage everything on his own. Besides, he actually only acted as the man giving the broad order and receiving the final report, as it was the other Generals that were focusing on each of these points. But still, he enjoyed looking at the results, especially the knight units which consisted of the main force of the kingdom’s army and clerks for the administrative side.

That was why he always asked to be updated on the knights training.

That was why he always knew which one was standing out from the crowd.

That was why he knew that Dragee Martinozzi was standing out.

His petite appearance was misleading to start with, because it gave him the opportunity to improve his dexterity while growing his muscles to show the same strength as a regular knight. And while he looked quite frail or a little too backing away, it was testified that his personality didn’t lack anything in what they would ask for a decent knight. Loyalty, bravery, willpower, all those excellent qualities were somehow pushed into this tiny body.

That was why it was a shame.

That was why it couldn’t be helped if he expected a lot from this apprentice.

That was why it was so difficult to decide if he should execute him for treason or not.

“Dismiss.”

“Yes, sir!”

He wasn’t his superior anymore, but Dragee did not forget all the faith he had put in the First General ever since he had met him. It was certain that the neighbouring kingdoms held hostile intentions towards their home country. It couldn’t be helped, that was the normal course when someone not sharing your image of peace was seating next to you. And yet this great man here managed the impossible. It was a feat if you emerged victorious from a battle. It was an historical event if you won a war against your enemy. But you become a living legend if you can prevent war for this many years.

Applying enough pressure so the opposition would not dare to launch an assault, not too much or they’ll feel threatened, not too few or they’ll see a breach and try to force it. It was a chain of carefully planned movements which helped to constantly show a reasonable display of strength to the people around them. If it was true or false, there was only one way to find out, but no king would deliberately send his men to war just to test the prowess of his enemy.

To Dragee’s eyes, Paladron hadn’t won any battle or didn’t put an end to any war, but he won over the notion of war itself. That was enough to call him a hero.

“Friture Elmar managed to escape from my soldiers from the library…”

This piece of new came as a blinding bliss to Dragee’s ears.

“… But they cornered him at a cliff, where he decided to jump before we could stop him.”

Then, everything became black.

“He… Jumped? Then is he…?”

“We are looking for his body, to make sure he didn’t bring any notes with him, but still haven’t found anything.

He vanished in the wild.”

“He’s alive?!”

So there was a chance, there was still a chance for the project to be completed! Dragee was glad, he was so glad that such a benevolent project would see the light. Maybe it sounded strange to hear him favouring a stranger’s plan to change the world over his allegiance to the king, but that just demonstrated how much he valued the idea of deleting all acts of aggressions. With this, there would be no more murders, no more assassinations, no more tragic deaths due to jealously or arrogance. Everyone would live in a world where they would not fear anymore for their unforeseen demise.

Dragee suddenly realised that answering back to the First General was the rudest thing he could have done as a recruit. He quickly apologized and bowed repeatedly, hoping it would not worsen his current situation. But now, he had a question that bothered him.

“Why are you telling me this, General?”

Paladron didn’t mind his lack of manner. Anyone would be exhausted in this situation, and an exhausted mind had different priorities than a sane one.

“As a promising knight, there are lessons that you ought to learn and remember forever, before being thrown out in the real world.”

It pleased Dragee to be seen as a promising knight by the First General himself, but it also made him disheartened when he was indirectly treated like a child by his idol. Was it really a good time to tease him, or was he just overthinking things?

“As the First General, it is natural that the duty to protect the kingdom from any threat falls on me.

I had my doubt at first, when the Chief Researcher presented to me this opportunity to manipulate the divine energy for such a convenient result.

That’s why I fetched you, because the risks were low and I knew you would not disclose the content of the experiment.”

It was because he trusted Dragee that he selected him amongst the legion of available knights. Because he wanted to test his loyalty and determination, and further improve it to turn this boy into a wonderful knight.

“But the situation changed when the spy showed itself.”

The presence of Peche Amaretto was the absolute proof that the National Research Center wasn’t safe anymore. Who knew how many other spies were hiding themselves inside the corridors of this megapolis of biscottean’s technology. The secret wasn’t safe anymore, so he had to take drastic measures immediately, even if he had to regret it later.

“I declared Elmar’s Project as a heresy, and ordered his execution. It was both to silence all ambitions about divine energy, and to protect our country from our neighbours.”

He continued his explication, adding all the details, the reason and the cause that forced him to do it this way. He also did not forgot to tell how the consequences would unfold if his plan wasn’t applied.

“Declaring it as heresy is to dissuade people to plunge their nose in this affair. Otherwise, if every country learnt of this method, they would not hesitate to harass the gods to collect as much divine energy as possible to make it possible.”

Making enemy out of gods, while the demons were roaming freely, because of one’s greed over the possibility to become deathless. This was the worst possible outcome.

“This is not worth it. Give it up, recruit.”

He said everything he wanted Dragee to hear. Paladron did it not because it seemed reckless or because he didn’t thought it through. On the contrary, he even foresaw the probable future that awaited the kingdom on both side of the story.

There was no way he could refute his logic. He didn’t know where to begin with.

However…

“I’m sorry, General. But I still believe in Elmar’s project, because I know it is the safest way to protect everyone…

With his project, everyone will be freed from the fear of death, and could enjoy the happiest life they could!

It will change the world in the best possible way!

Please, General! I beg you to reconsider, and give Friture Elmar a second chance!”

“Even if the gods decide to abandon us? Even if we have to remain alone against the demons?”

“This… I…”

Yes… No… I don’t know... Maybe if…

“If gods see us using this massive amount of divine energy, which is so precious to them, how do you think they will react?”

Let’s try to make an analogy out of this question. If someone caught a child misusing a delicate tool, how would he react? The reasonable answer would be to punish the kid and to confiscate the tool. As mortals, punishments consisted in physical harm or confinement in prison. But how did gods punish mortals?

Trying to imagine any kind of scenario sent goose bumps to Dragee. They were basically storing some divine energy thanks to the generosity of wandering gods. If they noticed mortals using so much divine energy for the mere comfort of detaching themselves from the fear of death, they would only see this as a huge waste. Then, the logic became simple.

We, gods, gift divine energy to mortals.

They waste it to overcome the natural fear of death.

Conclusion, we stop gifting them divine energy.

“We need gods to protect us from demons. And even if another scenario we couldn’t have predicted rise, I will still deem it unworthy of the effort this project requires.

I’ll repeat myself: It is not worth it, give up on this dream.”

On those words, Paladron checked the prisoner’s expression one last time. As he didn’t find any more what he was looking at, he closed this discussion, and went back to his duty, leaving Dragee alone in his cell.

He hoped, he really hoped… What did he hope for exactly? It was just like what the First General said. It was only a beautiful dream.