Reaper's Crown

Ch. 100

The candle's light flickered, with a light wind picking up through the ajar window close to the chamber's table. The muffled sounds of the nearby bars from outside were only getting louder, but the conversations in the chamber, as well as earlier cries, grew temporarily silent.

"Bancho was a good friend of mine," Sebastian spoke, putting one leg atop another. Atomu and Chyuuichi sat on the other chairs, eagerly listening to his words. "I remember the first time we met was during the day I took my father's throne." he looked up.

"How did he look back then?" Chyuuichi asked, and Atomu subtly rolled his eyes.

"Pretty much the same when I saw him last year. Old." Sebastian chuckled. "He was always old, as everyone told me. He was one of the strangest people I met, you know, mentioning that senior look." he coughed out, harshily. "Back then, I was... scared, in all honesty. Not knowing how things would pan out, but here comes this strange man telling me he snuck into the Goldenleaf Castle because no other Paladian in Saphrith was kind enough to lend him a tissue."

"A tissue?"

"He spilled some sauce over himself while eating." Sebastian smiled. "He didn't seem embarrassed though. Of course, I had thousands of napkins to give. I didn't understand why he'd ask me of all people, but he claimed that our family was made out of kindness." he shook his head. "...and he was so casual about it too. Everyone in my life always treated me highly because of my Royal position which made me angry. But here comes this old Morian strutting in like it's nobody's business."

Atomu breathed out, moving back into his chair. He recalled Bancho's words.

"Maybe that simplicity is rooted in something else, Atomu." Bancho put both hands in his pockets, stopping for a second. "I'm a great big liar."

"But maybe it was that attitude that made him so complicated to begin with. I could never read what he truly thought head-on. It was always hidden messages in overly kind letters or propositions to meet in places only the two of us knew. The more time passed, the more he confused me, up until today." he sighed. "I don't know why he'd make such a risky move to save you."

"Maybe he had no other way out?" Chyuuichi spoke up, while Atomu put a hand on his chin.

"Hm?"

"Like...! The world wouldn't listen otherwise, ya know?"

"I get what you mean, Chyuuichi," Atomu spoke up, his finger almost drilling into the side of his lips. Chyuuichi and Sebastian turned. "I r-remember something he told me once."

Sebastian crossed his legs again, eager to listen.

"Sometimes you have to taint the truth to protect what you seek." Bancho shook his head. "However, that depends on the severity of your lies. Do you lie because you want things for yourself, or others? I think it's important to balance the two forces out."

"Ya saying that he lied only for our sake?" Chyuuichi asked.

"Both," Sebastian muttered. "While he didn't generally care what others thought, he made sure that the light shined on someone else."

"So he did that by calling me a demon in front of the entire world?" Atomu shook his head. "To what, prove a point that good ones exist among our ranks?" he uttered. "I-It doesn't make any sense."

"Looking back, he did mention something about you being great Demonears. You know how there are not many people as brave as you in our world nowadays. If you knew him, you were crazy enough to keep up with his ideas." Sebastian seemed puzzled as well, before standing up and strolling around. "Whatever it might've been, we'll never know. We're in the present, and our time doesn't have Bancho to answer your question."