"Is that how it is, then? Why don't the other Dominions stop Ickni's vile plots?"
Lucius let out a deep sigh. "The war between the Devils still rages on to this day. We don't have the manpower to stop Ickni. With a single thought, she can strip the identity away from those wearing the bands, creating herself an army of two million obedient slaves. We can't handle a war on two fronts, let alone a civil war."
"I guessed it was something like that. But it still angers me greatly, her subjects go through countless amounts of suffering and pain each day with no end in sight."
"Yes. It isn't fair."
Lucius's charming smile downturned slightly at my words.
"Why are you exactly here in this Dominion you despise so much?" I asked.
"It was an order to survey the Order Dominion and report my findings back to the Moon Dominion, Selvar Moonborne. I must follow orders no matter how much they displease me."
"Artoria said something similar," I muttered, not catching Lucius's ear.
"I've heard of your accomplishments in Grandheart, destroying the Rebels of Revel that had been under Ickni's nose for a while. That's quite impressive for a newcomer."
"I feel no pride for killing those men, no matter if they deserved it or not. I will never be impressed by killing someone."
"Those were your first kills, then?"
"Yes."
Lucius looked out into the stars hanging above, his expression stiffening as he recalled the many memories within his mind.
"I remember my first kills like it was yesterday. I was thirty, my first wife had been kidnapped and murdered by a couple of drunks. The rage I felt that day still lingers in my heart. I tracked them down myself and used my Edict to freeze and shatter their limbs, one by one. I'm extremely ashamed of those days when I was lost in grief. If it hadn't been for Mister Selvar, then I may still be that way. Jumping from tavern to tavern seeking comfort in the embrace of liquor."
Lucius's grip on the barrister tightened, leaving a small crack in its surface.
"I'm sorry. How did you get over the guilt and grief?"
"I didn't. I no longer sleep at night, but even though I carry the souls of thousands in my wake, I know that I was right to take their lives; if I hadn't, then my beloved home would be in ruin. I've long since come to the realization that my actions were justified. Despite this, it doesn't conceal the pain in my heart, just dampening it." Lucius exclaimed.
"I thought your answer would be something like that. Ever since I robbed those twenty men of their spark, I've come to see their deaths as just the consequences of living in this world. If you can't adapt to survive, then you'll die. If you aren't strong enough, then you'll die. If you hesitate, then you'll die. But no matter how many times I repeat these words in my mind, the guilt doesn't recede, sticking with me through every action."
"Crude, but those are true. If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? I can't tell by your features, but I'm thinking around fifty."
"Huh? Do I look that old?"
I dragged my fingertips across my skin, checking its condition like I thought it was still silky smooth, not a single sign of aging. I wasn't even old, so why was I being compared to a fifty-year-old?
Lucius's head tilted slightly, confused by my words. I suddenly remember that angels are immortal beings; he was probably being nice, calling me fifty. I doubted he meant any offense by it, toning down my hostility. I answered his question.
"I'm eighteen."
"What…?"
I realised immediately that it most likely wasn't a good idea to reveal my actual age. I should've just gone with his estimate. Grumbling silently to myself, I face Lucius's baffled expression, smiling awkwardly.