Adam noted Mathias’ immediate dissatisfaction and correctly assumed that he did.
“Thought so. It’s been something that’s been in the back of my mind since I first saw you, but I thought you looked familiar. You look just like him, when he was a young soldier on the battlefield. You’re in your early twenties, am I right? You’re just about the right age to be the son I heard he had. Is that the case?”
Mathias remained silent.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Adam said triumphantly. “So, are you going to explain to me how the Crown Prince of Leapador ended up becoming a bounty hunter or should I just keep guessing?”
Mathias scoffed, turning his head away from Adam again. This time, however, he began to speak.
When I was young, my father called me into the throne room. I was small, and the wide room was itself like a palace to me. I walked down the carpet and approached the throne, where my father sat. He was usually lighthearted around me, but that day he was very serious. It was my tenth birthday.
“Mathias, you are old enough now that you will soon be leaving boyhood behind and stepping up to become a man. Therefore, today I will teach you an important life lesson. It is this: Of all the crimes in the world, the worst crime is theft. You can never forgive the act of stealing.”
I told him that there were certainly worse crimes than stealing, but he explained.
“All crimes stem from theft. When you cheat, you steal a man’s right to fairness. When you commit adultery, you steal a man’s wife. When you kill a man, you steal his life. You steal a wife’s husband and a child’s father. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
I told him I did, and he sent me away to think about what he had told me.
Later that day, I was walking through the hallway with my younger sister, Juliet. We were on our way to play outside when we heard a commotion around the corner. There was a lot of shouting and running. A filthy looking man turned the corner and started running towards us. Some of the castle guards were chasing him and I soon realized why. He was holding a bloody dagger which he used to murder my father moments earlier.
Before either of us knew what was happening, he grabbed Juliet and kicked me against the wall. The guards were screaming and gesturing their spears at him. He pressed the dagger up against her throat and threatened to kill her if they didn’t get away. I was backed against the wall, afraid to move.
I felt something in my back pocket and remembered I had a weapon on me: a crude slingshot. Cautiously I took it out and loaded it. The killer saw me and laughed. My hands were shaking as I pulled the sling back; I doubt he thought I was capable of anything. I found a moment’s courage and launched the pebble. My aim was pretty good, and I got him right in the eye. He loosened his grip on Juliet, but the knife skimmed her throat as he dropped her.
He dropped the dagger and ran off. The guards started to chase him, but I stopped them because Juliet needed the help more. She was bleeding very badly, and I ordered them to get a doctor. I took the killer’s dagger and chased after him myself.
In his blindness, he got himself cornered. I was there when he turned around, the dagger in my hand. He was bigger, but already crippled and unarmed. He knew he wouldn’t be able to get past me easily.
But I didn’t let him get passed me at all. I didn’t even think, I just rushed at him and started stabbing. He screamed, but I didn’t care. I stabbed him over and over until he stopped screaming.
I had to catch my breath before I realized in full what I had done. The killer was dead, his blood all over my clothes, my hands, the floor. And then my father’s words from earlier came back: Of all the crimes in the world, the worst crime is theft. When you kill a man, you steal his life.
I dropped the dagger and broke down crying. I had become a thief as well. I hated myself, but I realized that what I did was in the name of justice, for my father and for Juliet.
And then I thought to myself: how is it possible for someone to pursue justice unless they become a thief themselves? In a world full of wrongdoers, someone needed to stand up for those people, someone who was already ruined. That day, I decided that for the sake of those who could not receive justice themselves, I would do it for them. I left home that day, giving up my old life in order to pursue a new mission in life. I decided that I would hunt down every last thief and destroy them.
“Do you understand now, Evans? I have never acted selfishly for money or personal revenge. Everything I do is for those who can’t help themselves.”
Adam had closed his eyes as he listened to the story and stayed quiet until Mathias had finished. He took a breath and exhaled. His breath was visible in the cold.
“So that’s it, huh? Well if that’s the case then you’re an even bigger moron than I picked you out for. What would your father say if he saw you now?”
“He would be proud that I’ve defended the virtues that guided his life.”
“That’s rubbish and you know it,” Adam shouted. “You’ve spent all this time hunting criminals to avenge their victims, but you’ve never stopped to look at what you really are. Whether you kill to save lives, to avenge them, or to murder, you’re still spilling blood. Even if you’ve only killed criminals, you’ve still affected the lives of others. You’ve left behind victims of your own. Don’t you dare call me a demon without putting a bullet in your own head, bounty hunter. No matter how you justify it, killing is still killing.”
Adam waited for some kind of response, but Mathias remained silent. It was obvious he wasn’t going to move the bounty hunter.
“I don’t plan on wasting my time up here any longer. If you don’t understand what I’m trying to tell you, you can just stay here.”
“Wait!” Mathias yelled. Adam turned back to Mathias, who seemed anxious.
“Did you really know my father?” the bounty hunter asked. “My father, the King of Leapador?”
“No,” said Adam. “I knew your father, the soldier. He and I fought together in the revolution to restore your family to the throne. But I shouldn’t have said anything about him.”
“No, please! I want to know more about him. I never learned about his past, and I want to know. Please, Evans. I want to know the truth.”
For the first time since he had seen him, Adam saw an honest conviction in the bounty hunter’s eyes. Reluctantly, he began his side of the story.
The revolution had been going on for years, but I only got into the fighting towards the end if it. Many of the revolutionaries said I was the biggest reason that the fighting came to an end so quickly after that. Of course, neither side knew that I was a Legend so no one expected me to be such a dangerous soldier.
I met your father on the battlefield. He was leading the revolutionaries, and he called me to see him after a major victory. Though he was still young, he was stern and stoic, unshaken by the death all around him. He wasn’t the kind of leader who just sits aside while his foot soldiers net him a victory. He was on the battlefield, and he killed his fair share of men.
Before long, Richard’s side was victorious and the throne was restored to him. Those who had shown their worth on the battlefield were given positions in running the new government, turning from proud warriors to sluggish barons becoming bloated off of the spoils of their infamy. Of course, Richard wanted to put me in a similar place in his government.
He called me and another soldier, an older man who had been fighting from the beginning. The soldier seemed a lot more eager to be there than I was. Nothing Richard had to offer was going to impress me.
“Thank you both for coming,” Richard told us. “I’ve called you here because you two have demonstrated yourselves to be both loyal and capable of commanding large groups of men. As such, I wish to assign to you places in the royal guard that I am establishing.”
“Is that so?” I asked. I was trying to make my boredom as apparent as possible, hoping to get him to get through this business so we could move on. “What have you got for us, Richard?”
“Come now, Adam, things have changed,” the king said. “I must ask for you to refer to me as King Richard now.”
“Right, sorry,” I said sarcastically. “I’d forgotten you became a different person from the killer I saw on the battlefield as soon as you put on that crown.”
“That’s enough, Evans,” the other soldier said.
“Forgive me, sir,” I said, mocking him. I could care less that he was king, honestly. Back then, I didn’t have much respect for anyone.
“In any case, I wish to promote you both to the positions of captain of the guard. Adam, because of your advanced skill I wish to place you here with me as captain of the guard of Wensfell Castle. Duncan, I would like for you to serve at Fortinbras. It is a military instillation on the border with the Opal Kingdom, and I need a reliable man to be my eyes looking out over those we have a strained relationship with.”
“Just a second here,” I said. “You saying you want me to be stuck here where there isn’t going to be any action? That’s not going to work.”
“Watch your mouth,” the other man said. “The peace that we hold here right now is what all true warriors strive for. Are you saying you’d rather remain on the front lines?”
“I thought that was fairly obvious,” I answered. “After all, killing people is what I’m best at. My place is on the battlefield.”
Richard sighed, and conceded. “If that’s what you want Adam. I’m more than happy to oblige and send you to Fortinbras while keeping Duncan at Wensfell.”
So it was done, and our new roles established. The soldier called Duncan left the room to begin his duties immediately, but I stayed behind in the throne room. I wasn’t finished with your father yet.
“What are you still doing here?” he asked.
“The train to Fortinbras doesn’t leave until tonight, so there isn’t much I can do until then. Are you in such a hurry to be rid of me, Richard?”
“I told you, Adam, it’s King Richard now.”
“Whatever you say. So, are you planning on settling in and getting fat on your throne now that the revolution is over?”
“That’s quite enough, Adam. There’s no need to admonish me for setting aside my sword. Unlike you, I never enjoyed taking a life.”
“You make it sound like you’re better than me for that, but your hands are just as bloody as mine.”
Richard bowed his head. He knew that I was right.
“I took many lives during the revolution, for the sake of taking back what was stolen from my family. And in doing so, I became a thief as well. I stole the lives of many young men, some younger than I, for the sake of my brand of justice.
“During that time, I saw the true face of war. I saw the terrible bitterness that comes from taking a life. Yet we still call ourselves justified because we were the winners. But even though I’ve taken lives, I did so to create a better country for tomorrow. I’ve stained my hands so that my sons not yet born won’t have to. I’m willing to bear those sins, so that no more ‘thieves’ will ever have to.”
“And how long do you expect such a ridiculous ideology to last?” I asked.
“So long as I draw breath, and as long as my children draw breath. Even when I’m gone, I’ll be sure they understand this message and live by it.”
Adam finished the recollection, and this time it was Mathias who was left speechless. As the words of his father rang through his head, tears began to well up in his eyes.
“All this time, I’ve been helping people to get revenge, so that they wouldn’t have to stain their own hands. I did it to make up for failing my father. If I had known, things would have been different. This isn’t the life my father wanted for me. All I’ve been doing is spitting on his memory.”
“You, your father, and I, we’re all ‘thieves’. But we stand for a greater purpose. And even though in the past I took innocent lives and killed for the wrong reasons, I’m trying to make amends for it. I will make everything right with my own hands, starting with resolving this twisted ordeal.”
Mathias bowed his head, tears silently moving down his face. He had finally seen Adam’s reason.
“I’m sorry,” was all he could say.
He heard a cracking sound around him, several quick pops. He felt his limbs loosen, and then the rock around him began to break away and fall to the snow in large chunks. In seconds he was free, and he fell to his hands and knees in the cold snow. He looked up and saw Adam in front of him, extending his hand.
“That’s all I wanted to hear,” he said. “Apology accepted. But if you really want to make it up, you’ll show your worth in the coming battle. Now come on, we’d better get home. It’s already late.”
Mathias smiled weakly, and started up to his feet. He stumbled before he got all the way up, but Adam caught him.
“What’s the matter?” Adam asked.
“Well, I’ve been in that rock for a few hours,” Mathias said. “My legs are kind of numb.”
Adam let out an exasperated sigh. He slung Mathias’ arm over his shoulder and supported him as the two walked towards the mountain path.
“You’re more trouble than you’re worth, you know that?” Adam told him. Mathias smiled.
“It’s one of my more memorable qualities.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The Disappearance
December 20th, 2004
Adam woke late the next morning in a cold sweat. He had just finished having the same dream that had repeated itself from the night before and every other night since he had left Magid. He caught his breath and brushed the hair out of his face. The curtains let through enough light for Adam to see the features of the room around him. He was in Shuya Hiwatari’s room, which he was sharing with the Creator. He looked over to the bed and found it empty and already made.
He and Mathias had stumbled home late in the night. It was already long after sunset when Mathias regained consciousness on the mountain and even with taking the late train to cross town, it took nearly two hours for the two to return home. The house was locked when they got there, so Adam had to break in. By that point, no one was still awake so Adam dragged Mathias back to his own room before going straight to sleep. He didn’t have the energy to pull out the futon, so he slept where he fell on the floor.
Now it was morning, and he would likely be asked for an explanation from his companions as to where he had been all night. He decided he wouldn’t expose the bounty hunter’s betrayal, hopeful that he would be true to his word. Instead, he would tell the others that the two went to find the castle complex where his double was staying and lost track of time. He expected them to believe him; they had no reason not to. Still, he was apprehensive of having to deceive all of them, especially Dee.
He changed his clothes and washed his face in the bathroom. There was still dried blood stuck to his hair, and he could only hope that no one took notice of that on the train. As the days progressed during his time in the city, it seemed as if people were becoming much more cautious, almost aware that something was going on behind the scenes. This theory of his would be confirmed moments later, when he walked into the main hallway and found Ayumi leaning against the wall.
“It’s about time you’re awake,” she said. Adam immediately wondered what she was doing home at this time in the morning. She had explained to all of them that classes were still in session through the end of the week and she would be there until early afternoon. Yet here she was, casting a gloomy image in the hall with a gray sweatshirt, faded jeans, and a pained frown.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” Ayumi said. “We need to talk.”
“Is everything alright?” asked Adam.
“No, Adam. It’s the furthest thing from alright.”
“Well, what is it then? Should I sit down for this?”
“Not in there,” Ayumi said, stopping him as she saw him heading towards the living room. “My room.”
Adam raised an eyebrow, concerned by her insistence, but none
theless walked with her to her room. Her room was very tidy, and there wasn’t any sign that Dee had slept there the night before. Adam pulled the chair from her desk out and sat down. Ayumi closed the door and remained standing in front of it.
“When did you leave here yesterday?” she asked without turning around.
“I don’t know exactly, sometime in the early afternoon. I was scouting around the city.”
“Then were you involved with the incident downtown, just before sunset?”
Adam froze. “What incident?”
“There was an attack yesterday, not long before the sun went down. The police are calling it a terrorist bombing based on the descriptions from witnesses. It’s sent the city into a full panic. First there were the attacks on the Shinkansen and the train station, then the unexplained damage caused to buildings near here two nights ago, and now this. People are getting afraid. They’ve shut down the schools and a lot of businesses are closing to keep people from getting hurt.”
“I had no idea that anything happened yesterday,” Adam said. “It must have been my other half’s doing.”
“No, it wasn’t,” Ayumi said. Adam looked up.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because the one who did it claimed responsibility. Not to the police or the media, but to us.”
“What happened?”
Ayumi leaned back against the door and crossed her arms. “We were home waiting for you three to come back. You, Albright-san, and Baggins-san. Daniel-kun was getting worried because it was late and Baggins-san was not here. When the sun finally set, he became very nervous. He wanted to go out and try to find Baggins-san, but I told him it wouldn’t be safe.
“Then there was a banging at the door. He told me to stay in the living room while he checked the door. When he opened it, there was no one there, but there was a note stuck on the door. It was written in a language I couldn’t read, but Daniel-kun seemed to understand it. His face got very pale when he was reading it. He told me it was a letter from Baggins-san, but the other one. The one with the black mask. It was a declaration of war.”
The Kyoto Ordeal (Tales of the Other Universe Book 1) Page 20
