There was a heavy silence inside the command tent along with the thick smell of antiseptic and somehow tinged with grief. Michael stood in front of John with a clearly tired look, his report a grim ledger of their losses already being looked over by John. A bandage was wrapped around his head, obscuring the eye he had lost in the assault.
"The final tally is two hundred and seventy-three confirmed dead, my lord," Michael began, his voice low and steady, though it carried the weight of exhaustion. "That number includes warrior Sieg and strategist Choi. From the reports it seems Sieg's final act was one of immense valor. He held a joint force of 3 enemy squads at bay alone well giving the explicit order for his own team to retreat. His sacrifice saved them and a lot of others well taking down a large number of attackers who had used some unknown means to get by the main enemy groups."
He paused, letting the magnitude of that heroism sink in before continuing. "We have a further eighty-nine who are severely wounded. Of those, fifty-five will never bear arms again, their injuries too grave even for our best healers and potions. The remainder should make a full recovery within a few days with proper treatment and potions."
"This brings us to the current state of our remaining forces which is… mixed," Michael reported, shifting through his notes before laying them out next to the ledger. "Ironically, most of the golems survived with various degrees of damage yet seem to be able to be repaired and given some time will be back to their absolute peak. The chaotic energy of the fight seems to have altered a large amount of them though; they've become amalgamations of flesh, bone and stone, absorbing parts of the enemy monstrosities and fallen fighters to become whatever they are now. The slime contingent is entirely intact including the one who was changed and now dubbed a 'skull slime' and seems to have taken some form of leadership role. However, we lost two of the gun beasts, four titans and almost all of the dragon orks with the rest of the beasts having suffered injuries that will hopefully heal given enough time."
His gaze dropped as he gave the damage assessment. "Structurally, the outer perimeter was hit hardest but we expected that. Multiple defensive structures and a few residential buildings closer in not in line of the horrid monstrosity where were completely destroyed. We also lost a full warehouse and all its food and most materials stored within to those Sieg faced. We were fortunate though that the main freezer and the other warehouses were untouched and already moved underground, we didn't have enough time to clear and move that warehouse though but hopefully it will make those who survived attacking it feel we will be in dire straits and having lost food and materials. The armory seemed to be a primary target for the attack though and the warehouse assault was just there hopes to do extra damage to us along the way, but thanks to the guards' stationed before the war officially began and Sieg it was neither breached nor destroyed by the few enemies that remained. Attacks were made against the central towers by a few of the remaining assassins seemingly in an attempt to give an opening to the others and to allow the attacks to land but their own defensive shields held firm allowing us the time to eliminate them along with the Goblin Tower's automated defenses making short work of them once it seemed to register them."
He took a steadying breath. "A quarter of the greenhouse was damaged and Lady Elena's personal tree was harmed. She assures us she is 'okay,' though we have yet to assess the full extent of the spiritual damage she no doubt suffered from such an attack. Furthermore, nine of the special interests who accompanied you, including Lady Aria and Lady Evangeline Frostheart known as Angel have chosen to use their rights to depart and did so before the start of the assault and battle."
John said nothing but the way his lip slightly twitch that part really did hurt, Aria and Angel where both valuable and important people to him, even if he didn't show them affection he felt they deserved and had already planned to change that, they people he was growing closer with and trusted, especially after the fight with the angelic being where he comforted and promised to protect her well hoping to slowly open up to them like he was already slowly doing with Saya and Ash. But it was something he would need to come to terms with and address after the immediate matters so he pushed down his pain and hurt and focused on immediate matters signaling Michel to continue, even if there leaving didn't sit right with him, he had to focus on the here and now.
"As you ordered, all our fallen or what remained of them have been respectfully transported to the back field testing area rather than the center area due to the large numbers. We've scoured our territory and found no lingering traces of the enemy, disabling both our traps and other such things they had left behind. Lady Z and Lady Kay are leading the effort to harvest and collect all viable materials from the battlefield and remains of fallen enemies; they've enlisted our warriors and alchemists to assist in this matter and our necromancers have given aid, raising those who have been stripped, the black mages have also taken a majority of the corpses though, they wish to 'be prepared' to use their own words for whatever may come without needing to delay and wait for materials."
"Were the dead placed on funeral pyres as I requested though?" John asked, his voice hollow.
"Yes, my lord. Sieg and Choi were given the place of honor at the front with others who everyone felt deserved highest honors for their actions preformed during various battles. We did what we could to cleanse and prepare each body, leaving a single weapon upon each one as a testament to their role and method of combat along with their matching armor to show respect towards them and to further honor them. The ceremony was prepared with the utmost respect and we have done everything we can to ensure they held their dignity even in death."
John gave a slow, solemn nod. "Have everyone gather there in four hours. This is not a request or something they can choose to miss. Halt all other operations or whatever else they are doing if it isn't critical to ensure they are there. I expect every soul to be present. including the injured who are conscious, have people help bring them to the field." John began before sighing and rubbing his brow, "We have lost nearly half our number in this attack. The forces that attacked us far surpassed anything we were expecting. They no doubt paid a heavy price though, but even so this victory came at a cost for us as well, it was practically pyrrhic to say the very least, we will need to find a way to capitalize on this." With a sharp nod, Michael relayed the orders through his com crystal.
John left without another word, leaving the papers behind as he began walking aimlessly, finding himself walking down the path taking him deep into the underground prison where the Jester and the Clown were currently being kept. In the oppressive silence of the descending stairwell, he was met by Saya. They walked together without a word; her presence was its own statement. He knew why she was her, often finding her in the bastard's empty cell seemingly lost before lashing out and cutting up the wall in anger, her own vengeance having been robbed from her and the only way now to scratch her itch, to deal with the bubbling anger and rage was to destroy the place he was kept.
Walking into the damp, dimly lit cell, John pulled a simple wooden chair to face the two prisoners. The Jester sat calmly across from him, unrestrained and even somewhat friendly while the Clown, Clarica, was chained to the wall next to him.
"Is this really necessary?" Clarica's voice was a whine of annoyance. "I already made the blood oath and vow! If I try anything I'm dead. And why doesn't he get the same treatment?" she asked, jerking her head toward the Jester from the wall where she was restrained.
John's answer was flat and devoid of warmth. "Because, as strange as it may seem, I have a measure of respect for him, still owe him a bit of a debt and feel I can somewhat trust him. Unlike you."
The Jester offered a thin, knowing smile. "Since you are here and the noise had died down earlier It would mean you managed to win your small war. Nicely done."
John looked down at his hands practically seeing all the blood on them, both the enemies and his allies before sighing heavily as the weight of the report settled back onto his shoulders. "Not without a heavy price. Almost half of my people are now gone. We… no, I greatly underestimated their numbers and resourcefulness, I knew there would be a lot of them, but I wasn't ready for what war really is, for what THAT was, I dread to think how bad it could have gone if they had the full time to prepare. I wouldn't be surprised if every major power in this sector threw the bulk of their forces at us, or at least everything they could throw together with the reduced time frame, even with the start time brought forward they were still far more prepared than we were and I refuse to lie to myself or you, they made sure we hurt as much as they no doubt are now. And unlike the rest of the 'changed,' I have retained my humanity. Every one of those deaths, on both sides, weighs on me, after that I locked myself away, threw up and almost broke down, I was a mess and I know I will need an extremely strong drink after I give the final farewell. Even now I still question every order I gave and wonder if they were right, even though I know I can't change any of it now, I know I be having nightmares of them cursing me whenever I have regular sleep for at least a few months, not counting how I can still see the horror and pained filled faces when I close my eyes."
"Even so, you won the damn thing! So what's the big deal if some people died?" Clarica chirped, entirely missing the point. "I bet the views went through the roof! They branded you the underdog, the patrons who bet on you must have made a killing from this one!"
"I think you are missing a key part of what he just said, my dear," the Jester interjected, his eyes narrowing as he studied John with renewed interest. "What do you mean, you 'kept your humanity'? I fear I understand exactly what it means but I hope my conclusion is wrong."
"Ash, Saya, Lucy, Ray… And everyone else can kill and slaughter without blinking an eye," John explained, the words feeling like a confession. "They can send people to their deaths for tactical gain without a second thought or just to remove them and both Ash and Saya admitted to my face that if they lost me it would them hurt but wouldn't break them or have to large of a long term effect, they would be sad and slightly hurt but would then move on, they try to cling to what they should feel, the echoes of the emotions they lost years ago. But I can't. I weigh my actions. I carry the lives of those under me with every decision I make. Each death, each injury, is a burden on my conscience and the full weight and impact of it became clear as day earlier. I can't just move on without a care or ignore things like they can. 2 others I was growing close to also chose to leave and I will no doubt be breaking down further as I allow myself to process it fully, the others wouldn't be bothered by it but I will be. I suppose I'm just… unchanged for lack of a better word." His words caused Saya at his side to flinch slightly and look away.
"Oh my god!" Clarica gasped, her eyes widening with avarice. "That would have brought so many more viewers if I knew and shared that! An honest-to-goodness Untouched! The patrons would have gone wild for that reveal! So few do that to their chosen and even less survive so long!"
"An 'Untouched'? What is that?" John asked, a new knot of dread forming in his stomach.
"It means the standard conditioning didn't take hold or be performed on you," the Jester explained, his tone shifting to one of academic curiosity. "You gained a Class and its skills but your core humanity, your empathy all remained intact without your mind being altered or molded to suit the given class and role. It is a rare phenomenon as she said since very few do it unless it's out of boredom. Those it affects usually die within the first week as there overwhelmed by the horror of taking a life or choosing to take their own to escape everything happening around them, more so as the horrors of the changed world sink in and get to them, very few survive and often those that do would be consumed and turn into horrors beyond what anyone could ever imagine and often surprise everyone."
"Just great," John said with a tired roll of his eyes. "So while everyone else gets the advantage of numbed emotions, able to take lives with ease like an action protagonist I'm here playing on hardcore mode on top of everything else."
"Do not discount it entirely," the Jester countered. "There is an advantage. You are less susceptible to the gods' influence and manipulations because of this; there window to do so long since having closed. In theory, the more corrosive effects of your Class would be dampened or balanced out by this facet of your spirit. You might retain skill levels far longer than others of the same Class or find learning to be more intuitive, perhaps even unlock abilities that should be beyond your reach, possibly managing to ignore limitations that should be set in regards to your class. Though, I have never seen this combination before, so I cannot say for certain as those of your class often meet there end rather early on and you no doubt would have died if I had not done what I did in an attempt to weaken you and balance matters."
"I suppose that's something positive at least," John conceded, filing the information away for later. He then shifted the subject as he focused on the Jester. "By the way, that dagger you gave me. What can you tell me about it? A lot of those I had interact with it seem almost scared of it."
The Jester's expression shifted to one of genuine, unguarded confusion.
Seeing his confusion John held out the simple, unadorned dagger, its steel reflecting the dull glow from a nearby light source. It wasn't an ornate weapon; its beauty lay in its stark functionality, yet John held it with the reverence of a man presenting a profound riddle. Clarica, still secured to the wall watched them both with an almost predatory curiosity, her gaze flickering between the blade and the faces of the two men.
"You know? The one you gave me when everything started along with that bag of coin?" John's voice carried an edge of expectation as he pushed the dagger forward slightly, its point aimed harmlessly at Jester's chest. "This dagger?"
Jester leaned back, a faint, unreadable smile playing on his lips, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of genuine surprise. "I'm honestly shocked you still have that." he admitted, a low chuckle escaping him. He waved a dismissive hand. "But I'm not sure what you're even asking. It's just a dagger I'd picked up years ago from somewhere and then gave to you that day as a means to help you survive. I figured it was a generous gesture, a good luck charm of sorts for your… endeavors." His casual tone, almost flippant, hit John like a physical blow.
John's brow furrowed, his earlier expectation collapsing into a silent wall of disappointment. He slowly withdrew the dagger with a sigh, his grip tightening imperceptibly around its handle as he looked at it. "I see," he muttered, his voice losing some of its earlier edge. The words were heavy with an unspoken accusation. "That's odd. I figured it might have been to hide it from someone or something, or hold more sinister intentions. Honestly, I expected you to know what it was and that you were using me to effectively… stash it away or something." He trailed off, his gaze rising and locking with the Jester's, searching for a tell, a hint of deceit or just anything. The Jester's casual indifference though only piqued Clarica's interest, before she locked her eyes onto the dagger.
Clarica straightened slightly and her voice, sharp and clear, cut through the sudden tension. Her eyes fixed on the modest blade without blinking. "Mind filling a girl in about the details and why that dagger is supposed to be oh-so-special? I mean I'm far from blind and you couldn't have been more obvious about there being something wrong with that thing. And could you please let me out now? I won't do anything even if I could." she asked, a playful challenge in her tone. Giving her a look John slowly nodded and helped to untie the roots around her limbs, letting her fall to the ground, her eyes were now serious as she delicately took the dagger from John's hand, turning it over and feeling the balance, the cold bite of the steel against her fingertips as she pressed the tip and ran her fingers over each side lightly drawing blood as she inspected its sharpness. It looked like any other dagger and seemed to have nothing special about it besides being extremely sharp, it didn't even feel special.
John watched her for a moment, then shrugged, his initial disappointment giving way to a more pragmatic resolve. "Well, the Merchant Alliance person a friend of mine took it to wants absolutely nothing to do with it," he began, his voice taking on an edge that commanded attention. "And the… friends I've made recently are very, very interested in it as well, well one of them was and things went off the rails when other things happened but still." He paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "All apprising it tells me is that it's got something extremely powerful and dangerous locked behind multiple prisons and seals." He told them well retrieving the dagger, holding it up lightly as if re-examining it. "So clearly, it's far more than just a dagger I received as a handout."
The Jester leaned forward at that, his easy indifference replaced by a genuine spark of fascination as he truly looked at the dagger for the first time. "Well, isn't that interesting," he mused, a slow shake of his head accompanying his words. His gaze flickered to John, then back to the blade. "But honestly, I had no knowledge of any of that. I genuinely thought it was just a random blade I picked up and it could prove to allow you to survive a short while longer. What I find to be rather Interesting though is how you already have ties to the merchant association, we have only managed to achieve taking root there in the past 100 years and you have not only learnt of their association but seem to have means of interacting with the main organization rather than their merchants." His honesty and genuine interest surprised him.
John considered him for a long moment, then nodded, accepting the Jester's explanation, not exactly happy about it but at least he was honest. Truth be told, there were bigger concerns occupying his mind and the dagger had done nothing so far so it was far from worth his time at present. "Fair enough," he conceded, sheathing the dagger carefully. "I still have more questions though, many more in fact that I'll come back to so you have some time to think about them along with my seemingly deep connections, the first is to think about all that you can tell me about the barriers keeping this area a separate entity from the others, how could a person collapse this entire level onto another." His eyes glinted with a dangerous ambition. "Just so I have an idea on what to do once I take full control of this area." He told them before sighing. "I need to go for now but hopefully you two can give me those answers and ideas on how to do it when I come back, consider it steps to gaining my trust and better living conditions" He added before turning towards the cell door and leaving, the heavy clang of its closing reverberating through the stone chamber, leaving a lingering silence in his wake.
The Jester kept his eyes on the door even after it had closed, a thoughtful expression replacing his earlier amusement. "Well, he truly is an interesting human, isn't he?" he asked Clarica, who had taken the seat John used previously, arms crossed thoughtfully.
She just sighed at his words, a sound that held a blend of admiration and frustration. "If he played by the rules and didn't actively piss off so many gods he would have been a star and no doubt be picked up and used in other situations becoming an absolute titan," she lamented before shaking her head. "I have no doubt they would have sponsored him and invested heavily at that if he had a better impression. And me? I could have pushed for him to go to a lower level, being a personal streamer for him well guiding his narrative and adventure! Who knows how far he could have gone!" She pouted, her disappointment palpable. "Unlimited potential, utterly squandered by his defiance and attitude."
The Jester merely chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "I doubt in a few years they will even still exist if his ambitions and will holds true, at least not the way they are now. That human is a wave of change, or of destruction at the very least that I have never truly seen before." He leaned forward, a glint of amusement in his eye. "He even has two former administrators under his control now, remember? One who was good with the connection side of things, weaving networks and alliances that no doubt still exist even if they have lost their position they could probably still make use of them." He began well pointing at her. "And the other who knows the many secrets of his former work place, it's very foundations who worked his way all the way up to where he was before things changed."
"Luck." She counted. "Or something far more orchestrated, that's for sure," Clarica muttered, her earlier pout deepening into a frown well pacing the small confines of the cell. "If only I could have gotten him early, steered him and twisted him gently under my thumb." Her voice was laced with regret, a vision of what might have been playing out in her mind. "I truly would have had a star, a beacon of untapped and unlimited potential perfectly aligned to reach heights I could never imagine reaching."