Published: July 5, 2025
"Don't worry, it's a blunt strike."
(((...)))
For some reason, Abel did not react.
"Don't worry, it's a blunt strike."
(((...)))
Ryo thought maybe Abel couldn't hear him, so he said it again. Still, there was no response from Abel.
Ryo had explained to Abel that it was a phrase that had existed in his hometown for a long time.
During Queen Iliriaja's ascension ceremony, after defeating the white mask with a blunt strike, Abel had not reacted... so afterwards, Ryo made sure to teach him properly.
And yet, there was no response.
It was quite pitiful to be neglected while trying to elicit a reaction.
(((Why isn't Abel responding to me?)))
(((Well, even if you say that...)))
(((I taught you before, right?)))
(((Hmm? I don't remember that.)))
(((Why are you answering like a corrupt politician? I don't want to hear that kind of response!)))
(((I remember what a blunt strike is. It's the part of the blade that can't cut, right? It's not on my sword, but it is on Ryo's.)))
(((Yes, that's it. Hitting there means I won't take your life.)))
(((Isn't it enough to say, 'I won't take your life'?)))
(((That's where it's different! This is what the pathos of things is all about!)))
(((Ah, here it comes, the pathos of things...)))
Ryo heard Abel sigh.
After sealing 'Kuro' in the ice coffin, Ryo stepped outside with the frozen 'Kuro'.
Then he shouted.
"'Kuro' has been captured! According to my promise with 'Kuro', if they surrender, I won't take their lives! Everyone, drop your swords! The battle is over!"
Ryo's voice, coming from his gut, carried quite far.
He probably wasn't lying about what he said.
While he hadn't explicitly stated the part about his promise with 'Kuro', it was clear that Ryo didn't want to take the lives of the cult members, and he wanted to set that narrative for future discussions with the republic's government.
After that, members of the assassination cult began to surrender one after another.
Some returned to the mansion and wept over the frozen 'Kuro'.
"Don't worry, 'Kuro' is alive. Once we've finished our discussions, I promise to thaw him properly."
Ryo explained this to each person individually.
Compared to fighting assassins in the forest, explaining to each individual was not such a big deal.
It was understandable that they would be shocked if their leader was encased in ice.
A clear and thorough explanation was necessary.
Perhaps thanks to Ryo's explanations, no one lashed out at him in a fit of rage.
In fact, there were those who requested to be frozen themselves...
"They want to be preserved with 'Kuro'...," or "I don't want to think about anything, just let me sleep."
When Ryo began to freeze them as they wished, even the other assassins, who had remained silent, started to express their desire to be frozen... In the end, around 350 individuals who surrendered near Ryo were encased in ice.
Cult members who had surrendered with injuries from battles throughout the forest were gathered by the republican army and were receiving treatment.
They looked at the 350 ice coffins following Ryo and were astonished, tears streaming down their faces.
However, they did not lash out in anger.
Perhaps they thought that if they did so, their frozen companions, including 'Kuro', would be in danger.
To such individuals, Ryo promised that "they are all alive" and "they will all be thawed at the appropriate time."
When he said that if they wished, he would freeze them, everyone expressed their desire to be encased in ice.
Ryo had not anticipated that at all...
"That's right; they were from the 'cult'... A kind of religious organization. Wanting to live, wanting to stay alive like their companions might be some sort of instinct."
He forcefully concluded.
One cannot understand and explain every thought and action of people.
More importantly, there was something that only Ryo could do now.
Ryo walked over to Bonifacio, the person in charge of the scene, and called out to him.
"Director, I would like to discuss the matter of these assassination cult members with Head of State Cornbano."