Confusion. All that she could feel when she asked that simple question was confusion. She couldn't understand why this was happening, but her speaking partner didn't care much about that.
"Why, you ask why. Is it not obvious, you are the People, you are all that I had fought for?"
He felt great pain as he spoke these words; if he was another man, he would have probably been unable to tell them, but he wasn't. His authority had turned him into somebody who could ignore even the greatest of pain; after all, what is a bullet wound compared to being eaten alive? Unfortunately, his authority hadn't made him immune to mental pain; if anything, it made it worse. His fears, his guilt, and his loneliness all got worse because of it. Still, his responsibility had brought him where he is, lying back to the wall while talking to his, until recently, enemy.
That enemy was still as confused as she was when she asked the question; here in front of her lay the man who destroyed everything she ever made, one who crushed her dreams of being a queen, the man who killed or imprisoned all her friends. Her friends, the closest thing she ever had to a family, the dearest thing she, born a nameless orphan on the streets, ever had, are all gone now because of him. She should feel hatred, and she did feel it while she was in her cell waiting for her imminent execution, but now, as she looked at his form, she could only
feel pity for this man. His usually tied hair was now a complete mess. His pitch-black eyes, once described as piercing and scary, were now dull and lifeless, with noticeable eye bags as a testament to sleepless nights spent lamenting his decisions. Like his face, the rest of his appearance was equally pathetic; his red carmagnole jacket was now even more striking; after all, it was stained with his blood.
In a different situation, she might have even chuckled; the man would not have received this wound had he not invented the weapon that had given it to him. Then again, had he not created it, many things would not have happened: the Revolution, the fall of the Sage council, and, for the world, most importantly, the Great War. The Rose Revolutionary, once proud and mighty with a voice that had shaken thrones and a mind that created concepts sometimes so great that even the most learned and enlightened scholars couldn't understand, was now dying because he saved her. But why, why had he taken her out of her cell, why did he attack his own men when they tried to stop him, and why did he bring her here? That is what ex-throne candidate and ex-merchant Anastasia Hoshin thought as she was looking at her now former enemy.
"I did it all for the Lagunican people; I wanted them to be able to eat decent food, to be able to read and write, to live fulfilling lives without needing to be born in the right families. I was content with not interfering but simply observing when I first came to this world. I just wanted to go back home, but both were impossible. There was no way of going back to my world, and there was no way I could forever ignore all the evil that nobility did..."
The revolutionary had to abruptly stop due to his laboured breath; this pause allowed the ex-merchant to process what he said. At first, she couldn't understand his words; he was repeating "his world" like he wasn't from the world. But how can it be? The world is the world. There is nothing more, and then it hit here. If she was interpreting his words correctly, they could explain many mysteries surrounding the man named Subaru Natsuki, but she needed to be sure.
" Multiple times, you mentioned "your world" what does that mean?"
She asked this question with a straight face that didn't betray emotion. However, if one listened carefully, the same couldn't be said of her voice, which betrayed her excitement at this possible opportunity.
" Another world means a world that isn't this one; what is not to be understood?" Subaru was somewhat confused at explaining basic word meanings to Anastasia until he remembered something. "Ah, yes. You people don't understand the concept of multiple worlds. Imagine everything that exists, all lands, all lakes, all mountains, and stars, were represented in a single puddle of water. In that case, I came from a different puddle of water nearby."
This wasn't the answer Anastasia expected, not because it disappointed her, but because it confused her. That confusion has not come from her lack of intellect; she was as smart if not smarter than the Rose revolutionary, but from the lack of knowledge and understanding of the world that medieval societies have. To her, the idea presented by the revolutionary is simply too alien to understand. Sensing the confusion in his speaking partner, Subaru said the words he should have the first time.
"You people mistakenly refer to people like me as coming from beyond "great waterfall", which, if true, would still mean that I came from the same world as you, just a little bit farther."
So she was right. Subaru came from beyond the great waterfall, explaining the origin of his ideas and creations. He was just like the great Hoshin; the only difference was that Hoshin created a great nation, whereas Subaru destroyed one. Hoshin of the Wastes was to Anastasia and, to merchants in general, an idol; after all, she did appropriate his name. Because of that, she found this revelation somewhat disappointing. Subaru had the potential to bring great good into this world to improve everybody's lives; instead, he destroyed two of the world's greatest kingdoms and planned to kill the rest.
"You are a failure; you could have saved so many lives. I have seen your inventions. They are brilliant; if only you had not used that brilliance to make weapons, to create ideas that resulted in this war..." Somewhat agitated at being called a failure, Subaru cut in, stopping Anastasia's speech temporarily.
"It was inevitable, this Revolution was inevitable, I just accelerated it. You seem to forget that I am merely a man. If It wasn't for the oppression that the people suffered, my calls for Revolution would have been answered with mockery. Still, oppression was there, and people were tired of it." Inhaling again, the revolutionary continued. "You can't separate the mind from the material. All the inventions, just like ideas, first come from the human mind. It is simply impossible to advance one without the other."
" Even if that is true", Anastasia, somewhat dishearteningly, continued." You still destroyed the lives of most people living now. Had you not done what you have done, the Revolution might have happened centuries ago. Instead, you accelerated It, and as a result, people are now more fearful than ever. This Republic of yours is more tyrannical than any Kingdom ever was. You made a mistake."
At her words, Subaru, for a split second, grimaced that grimace was soon followed by an expression that can be best described as melancholic. This let Anastasia know that she had hit the mark with her words; she could cause him discomfort, which was, in a way, the closest thing she could get to revenge for all the pain this man had caused her, and that maid here was somewhat happy. But on the other hand, she also felt pity; his words were sincere, his goals noble, and his logic. Well, his reasoning was alien; it was so advanced that she could barely comprehend it, but the more she listened to it, the more she understood it, and the more she understood it, the more she wanted to follow it. That is how he acquired all of his followers, after all. For some reason, Anastasia didn't seem to dislike this effect. While her mind was contemplating the newfound knowledge, Subaru decided to answer.
"I was arrogant, I guess. I thought I was better than them and could avoid their mistakes." Melancholic, the revolutionary, had spoken these words. Still, that melancholy was quickly replaced with newfound vigour. "but now I see, It doesn't matter how hard you try to change, it always ends the same, and that is because that mistake is not the mistake, but a crucial part of the change." Subaru's "enlightened" words did little to make her sympathetic to his cause, but they did make her angry.
"What is the crucial part of the change? Murder, Terror, what... what is it. How many more people need to die for the equality of all to be realized, how many more thrones need to be tumbled before people stop starving, and how much more blood must be spilt in the name of the Revolution before this perfect world of yours is made." Anastasia was angry; this man in front of her was wrong; his use of Terror was wrong, and nothing would stop her from proving it.
This answer of hers exceptionally pleased Subaru, so he finished his statement. "I see you don't understand what I am saying. Don't worry, you will understand in due time, you will understand all." Subaru stated this fact somewhat cheerfully, or as cheerfully as a dying man can be.
"There ain't much to understand; you are a brilliant man who became a lunatic. A lunatic who is trying to conquer the world." This judgment of hers was answered with a simple but ludicrous question.
"If you don't like it, why don't you change it?"
"And how would I do that?"
"Simple, really. It is far from simple but easy to understand; that is when you understand it. " After these contradictory words, Subaru quickly paused and continued speaking." You know, there is a reason I brought you here. This place is where the Revolution first started."
That wasn't hard for Anastasia to believe; after all, they were in the ruins of a burned-down village. All that was left of the once humble settlement were charred stone walls that belonged to comparatively better-off houses and a dried well.
"This is the place where, for the first time, I stood against the injustice that prevails in this world." He proudly proclaimed before continuing." The peasants living here had most of their crops taken from them by the local lord. Naturally, after some time, their situation became critical. They were producing so much food, yet they couldn't feed their families, all because of the lord. So they decided they would no longer hand their crops over, and to prove their resolve, they blocked the main road used by merchants in this region."
Anastasia had heard of this before. As a merchant dealing in pretty much anything and as an owner of one of the best information networks in the world, she was informed that goods couldn't travel the road. Although the exact reason, until now, she didn't know. But she knew that the road was usable soon after, and seeing the destruction around here, she fearfully discerned how the situation was handled.
"The local lord, feeling pressured by the merchants and the Sage council, decided to punish these as he saw them "Puny peasants". He sent a few of his knights, and they did the rest. Two weeks; it took two weeks for the knights to clear the road. Because of this they felt humiliated, and they decided to restore their "honour", and this is the result." Subaru chuckled and stated humorously." Somewhat fitting for a knight's honour to be represented with burned-down ruins, don't you think."
His words made Anastasia feel guilty; she had played a significant role in putting pressure upon the lord to clear the road and ensure the trade through it. She was blinded by her Greed, and she, Although unknowingly, aided in this massacre.
"It just so happened that I had visited this village a few days before its destruction. But that is not important now; the important thing is that this is the perfect place for the Revolution to evolve. And the one to do it will be you, the people."
"You said that before, that I am the people. Why me? Why not somebody else."
"Who else but you, a nameless orphan on the streets who, using your intellect and cunning, had risen to be one of the wealthiest people in the world. At least before the Revolution. You see, I encountered a dilemma when I had you arrested. On the one hand, I needed to kill you to save the people, but on the other hand, had I killed you, I would have, in a way, killed the people. But I was able to find a solution to this problem."
With noticeable curiosity, Anastasia asked the expected question. " And what would that be?"
"All in due time", Subaru answered in a way that almost sounded mischievous.
"Well, I don't think you have much time on your hands", almost like she was trying to lighten the mood as Anastasia spoke these words. Instead of a light chuckle or any other form of amusement, Subaru's face showed worry.
" You are right about that, Citizen Anastasia. The revolutionary guard is on its way; at this speed, they'll be here in about three...make it four hours now." Strangely, once laboured and weakish, Subaru's voice was now the same as it was before being wounded. The same was true for his movement; his hands could move again at the same speed and precision. But by far, the strangest part was the fact that his wounds still remained; it was almost like his body was ignoring their presence and continued functioning like they didn't exist.
"What is happening? You seem to have recovered. And how can you know about the guards' whereabouts? "Anastasia, who was utterly bewildered by the sight before her, tried to pry answers from the revolutionary.
"Greed. It's only temporary; soon enough, I'll once again be on death's doorstep. But I should probably enjoy it while I can." Subaru effortlessly rose from the ground as he said these words and looked around himself. After he was satisfied with the state of the village, he once again made eye contact with Anastasia. She was pretty short, a consequence of malnutrition she had suffered for most of her life, with long purple hair and aqua-green eyes. Her clothes, although stained and in some places torn, still had the appearance of wealth or needles opulence, as the revolutionary liked to put it. Truthfully, nobody would believe she was five years older than the Rose Revolutionary due to her height. But out of all of her traits, the most known one, and simultaneously the greatest, was her Greed.
"Now that I think about it, you, citizen Anastasia, are quite greedy. You are probably going to be the next one." Subaru's voice was low, although not low enough for his speaking partner not to hear him. He was processing this newfound revelation, and it seemed he couldn't decide if it was good or bad.
"Next one?"
"Yes, probably. If I could, I would give you all I have, but unfortunately, I can't control them."
At this point, Anastasia got somewhat used to Subaru's cryptic language, so instead of prying further, she decided to get the conversation back on track.
" As you had agreed, we don't have much time; we should continue discussing the solution you found for your dilemma."
"Indeed. Now that I can walk again, this should be easier." While speaking, he reached for a briefcase he had carried here when he freed Anastasia. He took what looked like a regular book from the suitcase, although this book was all but usual." This is a collection of multiple philosophy books I have personally translated from my world. Initially, I wanted to publish it, but there was not enough time for that. Plus, it would be better if your opponents were unaware of it and, most importantly, know it."
Anastasia, with stars in her eyes, accepted the offered book.
" The knowledge inside this book should answer most of your questions and, most importantly, help you lead the Republic and Revolution forward."
While she was excited about all the knowledge she could acquire with this book, and even though she started to understand, and to an extent respect, the man who gave it to her. She found it impossible for herself to lead the very thing that destroyed her life and family.
"I'm thankful for this gift but won't lead the Revolution. On the contrary, I will use the knowledge within this book to destroy the Republic." These words were spoken with great zeal and truthfully conveyed her feelings. Even though she was more emotional than usual, her intellect was still as good as always. Anastasia was ready to start running as fast as she could at the first sight of aggression from the revolutionary. In fact, she wouldn't have even said these words had Subaru not been heavily wounded and, at least until recently, dying. But the attack never came; instead of anger or hatred, Subaru's face showed what appeared to be understanding. Of what, she isn't sure.
"Do what you think you must." He made a short pause to collect his thoughts before continuing." If you genuinely want to do that, you should probably know that there are confirmed sightings of counter-revolutionaries, probably the remnant of the royal guards, near Costul."
"Thank you."
" That information won't help you much, but this thing will." Subaru reached inside of his coat and took a letter from it." Content of this letter will ensure you Halibel's loyalty."
The weight of these words couldn't possibly be measured. Halibel was well known to Anastasia and the rest of the world. The wolf demi-human is, or more accurately was, the greatest warrior of her homeland and one of the four greatest warriors in the world. His skills with curses and his unparalleled ability to remain hidden, even from the greatest foes, made him one of the most respected and feared warriors. One important trait that he possesses is his hatred of slavery; it was that hatred that made him support Subaru's struggle to spread the Revolution across the world. Hatred of slavery transformed Halibel from a feared warrior to an even more feared head of the Republic's secret police. Many enemies of the Revolution had had their lives ended thanks to Halibel and his network of spies and assassins. Truthfully, throughout their entire conversation, Anastasia half expected Halibel or any of his men to find them and arrest her; after all, they were more than capable of achieving this. But the existence of this letter shows why this hasn't and won't happen.
" While this letter is useful, It won't be enough to get Heinkel on your side." Subaru's face showed disappointment while he was speaking these words.
Anastasia wasn't sure if Subaru was feeling disappointed in himself for being unable to ensure Heinkel's loyalty or in the person in question for not going with his plan, whatever that plan might be. She wouldn't be surprised if it was the latter; after all, Heinkel Astrea's entire life could be described as a disappointment. A son of two famous war heroes, a former head of one of the great noble families in Lagunica, and a former vice-captain of the royal guard. But he was most famous for being a rather rude alcoholic. Apparently, this was a coping mechanism for his wife's condition. His wife, Louanna Astrea, has been in a state similar to a coma for over a decade; not even the kingdom's greatest healer could cure her. Anastasia doesn't know why a man like this would be accepted to as a part of the Revolution's leadership. But he was and is now the Republic's minister of war; as a head of the Republic's armed forces, he was also given, by Subaru, the title of Field Marshal. She had never heard of this title before and hoped that the newly acquired book would give her more information about it.
" I know what you are thinking. Heinkel's reputation was not the best before or after the Revolution. But he is a competent field Marshal and has the army's full loyalty." Subaru, who, for some reason, was keen on aiding Anastasia in destroying his lifework, continued. " With his aid, you might even be able to enact a bloodless coup. " This was probably the reason for his insistence; he was trying to minimize casualties. Suppose he can't stop me from destroying his "project". In that case, he might as well ensure that I cause as minor collateral damage as possible. At least, this was Anastasia's interpretation of his intentions.
"If you can find a way to cure his wife's condition or, at the very least, make him think that you can. He should follow you no matter what you decide to do."
Heinkel's apparent lack of ideological conviction wasn't surprising to Anastasia. Still, It does surprise her that Subaru seems to lack It. After all, he just told her how to end everything he created, so why is he betraying his ideals?
"Why are you telling me this? You know I'll destroy your Revolution, you know I'll end this insane war, and you know I'll stop your Terror from spreading across the world." Strangely emotional about the circumstance, Anastasia demanded an answer.
"You say you will destroy everything, citizen Anastasia. Does that mean you will reintroduce slavery or that you will make it possible for the local leaders to repeat massacres like the one that happened here? Something tells me that somebody like you will not do that." With a sly smile, Subaru spoke these words, which were quite effective; they made his speaking partner lose herself in her thoughts for a short time.
He has a point. After all, this Revolution is ending slavery, that blight on the world that she almost became a victim to. It also gave strength and opportunity to once oppressed people to fight their oppression. While all of that was good, It didn't excuse the murders that the Revolution committed. Subaru himself probably burned many villages that didn't support his Revolution, even if that defiance was passive. In a way, his oppression was worse because, in the past, people were punished for what they had done. But Subaru's Revolution punished people not only for their actions but for their thoughts as well. The revolutionaries often considered having wrong ideas worse than directly opposing the Republic. And the scariest part about it is that she thinks she can understand it now. You can do something without knowing the effects it will have; it is possible for somebody to unknowingly hamper the struggle. But if you in your heart hate the Revolution, you will spread that haterade, like it is a disease, to other people.
By doing so, you might be able to, or at least create, an opportunity for somebody else to rally a necessary number of people to cause trouble for the government. The Revolution lives within the hearts and minds of people; it defends itself not with weapons that Subaru nad invented but with the hearts and bravery of the people who believe in its values. No matter how strong its enemies were, the Revolution would live if a single person held it within their heart and was ready to spread its teachings. It scared Anastasia how easily she started to understand this man's logic. Still, that logic held some sense between its brutality and, at times, lunacy. Yes, she won't destroy it all. Just the bad parts, when she has identified them.
"What you will do, citizen Anastasia remains to be seen. But I am confident your actions will benefit the world, or at least this country. I wouldn't have saved you If I didn't believe it." Disinterested in Anastasia's internal dilemma, Subaru stated his plan's goal, at least in the broadest sense.
"How do you know that, after all, you know who I am and what I previously was."
" The book I gave you should answer this question, so read It." Dismissively the revolutionary answer, but after a short pause, he added with a marginally softer voice. " If you aren't certain, even after reading it, I wrote a rather large letter that explains my entire plan. The letter is hidden within what previously used to be the king's office, now the meeting place for the heads of government. So you will be able to read it once you take control of the country."
Although not the most useful, this answer was still satisfactory for Anastasia. After all, It gave her something to think about, a challenge, a mystery and her mind couldn't get enough of that. She started to admire the Rose Revolutionary; his logic had sense, and he could conceive a plan that turned his enemy into an essential part of his struggle. Of course, she won't follow his plans. She ain't a dog. He might fascinate her, but he can't control her. She will use what he gave her to make her own decisions about what is right and wrong. If she will rule, she will lead her way. Anastasia unknowingly, for the time being, played into Subaru's hand. As it turned out, she did it not a second too late.
Subaru looked at her pleased; it seemed his plan was working. Anastasia's face showed fierce determination, making It evident that she had accepted her new role. That fact relieved him; his aim would be fulfilled, and the struggle he started soon after coming to this world finally concluded in victory. He felt bad for hiding Anastasia's purpose, but it was too early to tell her now; she wouldn't understand it. However, she is intelligent; she will figure it out independently. He has given her everything she needs to do so, and by the time she does, she will see things his way. How unfortunate she was blinded by opulence all these years; we could have achieved so much. Who knows, maybe we could have... But his musings about a past that had never happened were cut short by a sudden twinge of pain around his legs seconds after he fell to the ground. His authority's effect had worn off.
" You're in pain again; stay still. I'll try to help you." Concerned for her unlikely benefactor, Anastasia tried to help him.
But her attempts were for nought." I told you that the effect would be temporary." He told her with a voice that was once again laboured." The Guardsmen will be here in a few hours, so you should go now If you want to achieve your goals." Urging her to leave while she could, the revolutionary started shooing her away with his hands.
But Anastasia was a rather stubborn woman who didn't let misplaced gestures drive her away. " I won't let you die alone."
"Where did this sudden concern come from? I won't go with you, but you will probably know when I die. After all, as I told you, you are the next." Confused and slightly worried about his plan, Subaru delivered these words to her. " If my prediction is correct, then in a way, I'll remain with you."
"How?"
"You will know It when It happens. Now go!"
Once again bewildered, but this time determined. Anastasia started running toward the forest, leaving the revolutionary to die. While usually going alone in a dense forest was a death wish, this one was for two reasons: an exception. First, she knew that this forest had a road that led to a rather big village, at least when it came to the towns in this domain. Secondly, she knew that this forest didn't have any dangerous beasts in it. Simply put, she knew she was safe, but the pursuing guards might assume that the forest is dangerous and, therefore, presume she was dead.
Soon enough, her tired and naturally weak body ran out of stamina, forcing her to rest briefly. The scenery was rather pleasant; all around her were large trees, whose sprawling branches and leaves created shade for travellers like her and gave a home to birds and insects. Those same birds could be heard twittering; what were they saying to each other? She didn't know, but she knew that she liked the sound. And to top it all off, a gentle breeze could be felt. All of this combined caused Anastasia to feel peaceful for the first time in a long while. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt like this, but she knew it would be long before she felt it again. Until this morning, she was expecting her imminent death, and now she is about to take over the country. The man who imprisoned her saved her. The man who wanted her dead gave her everything she needed to achieve her goals. The man who took everything away from her allowed her to get it back, but she will do it the right way this time.
She didn't know what to think of her strange benefactor; at first, she thought that he was an enlightened, although foolish, boy. After some time, this boy started to rally peasants and disillusioned merchants to his side, so her opinion changed, and she started seeing him as a threat. But his actions when the Royal Capital fell had, until recently, the most significant impact on her. He had the Sage Council, a temporary government that ruled until the new king was found, publicly executed. Soon after, all the nobles who hadn't fled the country suffered the same fate; after that, he proclaimed his Republic. He said that this Republic was a system of rule which made it impossible for one man to acquire too much power; he claimed that it would free the people from the tyranny of kings. He said those things, and yet he held more power than any king had ever had.
When the other Great Nations united to stop his Revolution, he destroyed their armies with new weapons he had invented and forced them out of Lagunica. But He wasn't satisfied with that; he wanted to spread the Revolution across the world, so he declared war on the neighbouring countries. Because of the firearms and national conscription, Lagunica was victorious in the beginning; the Republic's armies even conquered the Vollachian Empire, their eternal rival, and turned it into what they called a sister republic. Soon after, the war was stalemated, and the people demanded greater measures against those they saw as their enemies; as an answer to this demand, Subaru declared Terror to be the name of the day. All the death and suffering caused by the war and Terror changed Anastasia's mind for the third time, and she saw him as a monster.
She kept that opinion until today; Subaru was simultaneously all three of those things and none at all. He, simply put, was a fascinating man. It is sad that if things happened the way they did, he would have made a great employee. His knowledge could have enriched her even further. But then again, this way of thinking is what destroyed her life. To begin with, had she done things differently, he wouldn't have had a reason to kill her. When she thought about it, she couldn't help but feel that Subaru's actions towards her were rather kind.
These quite disturbing thoughts of Anastasia's were stopped by more imminent concerns." I should probably go; the night will probably fall relatively soon ." The rest of her walk was quite uneventful; she encountered a hunter who graciously gave her directions to the nearest settlement. She followed the man's advice, and she was near a small village by twilight. She could see the tiny houses that made up the village; they looked pretty comfortable to her, but then again, her sense of comfort had dulled due to the time she had spent in her cell. Besides the houses, she could also see the farmers who were returning home from fields that they painstakingly sight gave one a feeling of normalcy, something that was extremely rare in these tumultuous times.
In an instant, that feeling was replaced with that of pain; the sensation was so intense that she fell to her knees; it felt like It came from her soul. The pain wasn't normal. It was much stronger, but soon it faded and was replaced with a strange, almost eldritch feeling. She could sense a presence within her soul; this entity might not necessarily be evil, but it was dark and cryptic. Just like pain, this other feeling soon left; the entity was still there, and her soul, for better or worse, just got used to it. While trying to understand what had just happened, Subaru's words returned to her.
"Greed. It's only temporary; soon enough, I'll once again be on death's doorstep. But I should probably enjoy it while I can."
"Now that I think about it, you, citizen Anastasia, are quite greedy. You are probably going to be the next one."
"From where did this sudden concern come from? I won't go with you, but you will probably know when I die. After all, as I told you, you are the next."
"You will know It when It happens. Now go!"
"Greed," she said as the realization of what had happened hit her. Subaru just died, and she is now...
"Miss, are you alright?" a concerned villager interrupted her thoughts, and that is when she realized she was still on the ground.
" I am fine, but I got lost. I've been wandering this forest for three days, looking for people to help me." While rising from the ground, Anastasia put an act of a lost and scared young woman; her ability to fake emotions was legendary amongst merchants, and this poor villager never stood a chance.
"That is terrible; you can stay the night or longer with my family. If you want to." The villager graciously offered, unaware of the actual identity of the person he had invited to his house.
"Thank you! I'm so grateful to you; the forest was terrifying. I thought that at any moment, a wild beast would attack me." With fake tears and excellently acted fright, Anastasia could gain sympathy from the man.
"There is no need to be afraid; you're safe now." Frantically, the man tried to calm Anastasia down, which seemingly worked." Maybe we should go now; the night had already fallen."
"Thank you for allowing me to stay; please lead the way." With a purposely weak voice, Anastasia answered his question.
"Sure, this way." The villager started walking, and Anastasia followed him. These were the first of many steps that Anastasia Hoshin, a former throne candidate, took to fulfil her new purpose. For the first time in her life, this woman was now wholly worthy of the name Greed.