I want to know the truth

ㅤ She couldn't shake the thought of why the "the Demon King" Dhaos, had only attacked Midgards and Hamel. Arche thought about this so hard that she couldn't sleep. Preparing to storm the castle required time, so she took advantage of it to fly alone to Dhaos's castle. It turned out to be a gloomy place, fully consistent with the rumors of its owner's affiliation with the dark forces. "I apologize for the intrusion," Arche said quietly, hesitantly, trying to overcome the fear that was sweeping over her. She had little doubt that if she didn't show aggression, nothing would happen to her. If she'd misjudged her actions, she would have fled quickly, fortunately, the broom's maneuverability allowed it. Even more awkwardly, Arche asked into the void, looking around: "Dhaos, are you here? I want to talk to you." As expected, there was no answer. Exploring a large castle alone, especially one clearly teeming with creatures of darkness, wasn't appealing to Arche. "I just want to talk…" she breathed out, lowering her head. 'Maybe I should try flying in through the balcony on the upper floors? Dhaos is probably waiting at the very top,' it seemed logical to her. After all, anyone but an enemy would hardly dare venture into his lair. Just as she was about to put her plan into action, a monster in a black robe and with a sharp scythe appeared before her from the black mist. Arche held her breath, ready to repel the attack at any moment. However, the monster merely bowed and helpfully pointed to one of the doors. "Wow, what a butler," Arche was stunned. Holding her broom close, practically hugging it, Arche walked in the direction indicated. The castle was indeed full of monsters of all sorts, but no one dared even glance sideways at the guest. One skeleton even offered her tea on a tray. It never occurred to Arche that they might try to poison her. She drank it with pleasure, delighting in the aroma and taste. Dhaos greeted her sitting in the throne room. And although he commanded evil, Arche was tempted to say that he was angelically handsome. She couldn't help but stare, not noticing the blush that had taken over her cheeks. "What do you want?" he asked evenly, without a hint of malice or hostility. His voice was worthy of a noble ruler. "Huh? Oh, that's right…" Arche was embarrassed by her own carelessness: staring so brazenly at the "enemy". Pulling herself together, she spoke decisively: "Hamel and Midgards. What do they have in common? No one else was harmed. If you truly were a threat to the world, as they say, everyone except Midgards would have fallen long ago. So why? Why them?" Dhaos remained silent, his gaze searching. He saw the fear burning in the girl. And the sincerity in her eyes, concealing the pain. "Did someone dear to you die?" he was in no hurry to answer. In this world, people were so unwilling to listen to him that they had proclaimed him the Demon King. "Eh?" Arche was surprised at first. Her question was too specific to suggest such thoughts. However, Dhaos was right: when she spoke of Hamel, she couldn't help but think of her best friend. Her only and dearest. "Yes," Arche said, lowering her head sadly. "You came for revenge?" Dhaos didn't judge. He understood such a desire. He knew the terrible things he had done, so uncharacteristic of him. However, he was left with no other choice. "No!" Arche seemed to wake up. "I just want to know the truth! So why?" Arche truly didn't feel anger or hatred. Dhaos, once again convinced of the sincerity of her words, tried to share his knowledge and concerns once more. Those things that others had rejected, those who had encouraged him to go against his own principles. "You're a half-elf, aren't you?" he pierced Arche with his gaze. She nodded reservedly, tensing. Half-elves were always and everywhere treated with prejudice. She wouldn't have been surprised by the disdain. But Dhaos had something else on his mind. "Do you feel how the mana is changing? How it's gradually disappearing?" She felt it. Very faintly, barely perceptible. And even then, she only noticed because Cless had said that magic no longer existed in their time. "Yes. But very slowly. I doubt anyone else noticed it without straining themselves." "That's why people continue to experiment with magical technology so carelessly." "Magitechnology…" Arche understood why Hamel had become a target. Rhea's parents were researchers. Researchers of magitechnology from Midgards. The thought of her friend and her death cut so sharply into her heart that Arche clenched her teeth, trying not to let the tears of pain roll down her cheeks—to no avail. She couldn't hold back a lone, quiet sob. Dhaos watched her silently, allowing the girl's feelings to spill out and not torment her from within. He was to blame for her tears. And not only hers. He had ruined many lives. That's why it was so necessary to end the war quickly, so there would be no more casualties. "Do you hate me?" "No," she shook her head, her voice barely audible. "I'm just sad about my friend. And what are you sad about?" She looked him straight in the eyes, her tears continuing to slowly fall. Dhaos's gaze flickered. He hadn't expected someone to peer so deeply into his soul. Looking at his guest once more, Dhaos beckoned to someone unknown, and two skeletons entered the hall: one with calming tea, the other with a tray of fruit. Talking with Dhaos alone like this, enjoying the most wonderful tea, Arche grew less and less convinced that this man could be the Demon King. After ensuring his guest had calmed down, Dhaos continued: "What do you think will happen when the mana disappears?" "The Spirits and magic will disappear," Arche suggested after a moment's thought. Cless and Mint hadn't complained about life without mana. But they were ordinary people. "Disappear?" Arche didn't understand what had caused Dhaos to smile bitterly. "They'll die. They'll suffocate painfully, like a person without air. But if only a small portion of this world's mana disappears along with its mana, then in mine, not a blade of grass, not a single living creature, can survive without it. The development of magical technology and the buildup of military power led to the creation of the Mana Cannon. Just one shot was enough to fatally deplete the Great Tree." Arche didn't want to understand what Dhaos meant. She understood, but she didn't want to. Was his planet dead, or could it still be saved? Was Dhaos here to prevent the same mistake from being made, or for his own purposes? The last straw for her were the words: "They created a similar cannon in Midgards." "They must be stopped," Arche said, fear in her voice and her heart sinking. "Exactly," Dhaos said firmly. "That's why I sold my soul," the words sounded terrifying, sending shivers down Arche's spine. "I will do everything I can to stop this research." "For your world or ours?" Dhaos cast an unusually cool glance. "For mine. But your world won't be any worse off for it." "I understand," Arche lowered her head. "I'll try to convince the King of Midgards of the need to stop the research. Perhaps he'll listen to me. I'll also try to reason with Cless and the others," she said, a name still unfamiliar to Dhaos. "I'll take advantage of my position as a hero fighting against you," she said, arousing Dhaos's mild interest. "Good luck," Dhaos said, without sarcasm, but with a complete lack of enthusiasm. "And if they don't listen to you, what then?" "Then everything will just go the same way, as if I hadn't stopped by today. Only I won't be in this battle anymore," Arche pursed her lips and turned away, avoiding eye contact. "I won't be able to fight with my friends. Anyway," she tried to cheer herself up with her usual smile, "thank you for the tea, it was delicious! I hope we'll see each other again. Like friends at the same table," she winked. Arche hurried back to Midgards Castle at full speed. She was desperate to tell her friends everything. She was burning with despair and hope: she was afraid she wouldn't make it in time. "Arche, where have you been!?" Cless was the first to pounce with questions. The heroic squad was already preparing to attack. "In Dhaos's castle," Arche blurted out recklessly, flushed from the exhausting flight. "You must know, Dhaos is not our enemy. The real problem is…" "Are you starting again?" Cless's voice was menacing. "But it's true! We mustn't fight! We must stop the war!" "Perhaps Dhaos brainwashed her?" Klarth suggested, assessing Arche's condition with his gaze. "Mint, can you do something?" Cless asked his companion. "Stop it!" Arche flared. "I am of sound mind and in complete control of my will! You're the one who refuses to understand what's really going on! Dhaos isn't…" "Enough!" Cless flared up. "I already told you there are no excuses for Dhaos!" "Please, listen to me!" She wanted to burst into tears of despair. To somehow stop Cless heading toward the battlefield, Arche grabbed his hand, but he roughly shook her off. "Don't you dare stop me," he said threateningly. It felt as if Cless had slashed a blade across her heart. "You're already a traitor. Don't become our enemy." He sincerely didn't want to fight his friend, even if his mind had elevated her to the level of a traitor. Just like that… Just like that, everything had crumbled. Faith in the best, and in friends. Arche watched the backs of her departing friends, whose stubbornness could only be stopped by force. She couldn't stand in their way. She didn't dare become their enemy. An enemy of the entire world. Exhausted, Arche fell to her knees and screamed at the sky, her vocal cords straining. Did Dhaos feel just as helpless? Didn't know what to do? No, Arche knew… She lacked the resolve. 'I'm sorry, Dhaos. I'm just pathetic.' ㅤ