'…Why, Kirill Nearl? Why won't you accept me?'
'…'
'Don't you wish to become part of me, to do more for your country, for your family… even for your own fragile lifespan?'
'I have never believed that my short life and fleeting memories could stir anything within a being like you. And I have no desire to become your puppet. But, Black Snake, if all you wanted was to devour my will, you wouldn't need to waste words on me.'
'…Haha. It seems you still don't understand me well enough. Yes, I could forcibly devour your will and turn you into a puppet. But such flawed products are more trouble than they're worth. I don't have the time to sift through every fragment of your memories, nor is disjointed skill worth learning. Mortal techniques have little value to me.'
'…'
'Why won't you bow your head? The Kazimierz of today is no longer the homeland you loved. Your former comrades stand by and watch your downfall… they fear you more than they respect you.'
'You will never understand, Black Snake… this is still my homeland. This is the land I love.'
'…Even if this Kazimierz has driven its war heroes to such a state?'
'But no nation has ever existed without passing through dark times. This land has never known a perpetual utopia… only by enduring the darkness can one welcome the dawn.'
'…'
'I have no intention of lecturing you. Compared to you, my lifespan and experience are insignificant. I have no standing to advise you either, for the fallen comrades of mine remind me constantly that hatred is not so easily forgotten.'
'…'
'But, Black Snake, not everyone on this land lives only to seek advantage and avoid harm… and there are things that must be done, even when one knows they cannot succeed.'
'That is, without question, foolish. benefit and avoiding harm is the instinct of all living beings, and morality is nothing more than a civilized veneer draped over savagery. Supporting one's parents stems from fear of being abandoned in old age. Treating others with honesty is merely a way to survive better within a group. As for those who expect nothing in return, they are nothing more than rare mutations among an immense population… and they do not live long.'
'But you cannot deny that such individuals exist, can you?'
…
At dusk,
Malkiewicz, one of the spokesmen of the Chamber of Commerce, had just finished a call with the Doctor, the representative of the internationally recognized Infected medical organization Rhodes Island for this Kazimierz mission.
"Phew…"
He let out a long breath.
Recently, the return of the Radiant Knight, the protests from the Infected Knights, the reappearance of the Laughing Knight, and even pressure from the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi had left this young and relatively inexperienced spokesman utterly overwhelmed.
He had once been nothing more than an employee of Słoma Foods, invited by the former spokesman Czarny to join as his subordinate. After Czarny was recruited by the Cape Group, Malkiewicz inherited both the spokesperson position and command over the Armorless Union.
The Chamber of Commerce was dissatisfied with the Cape Group's poaching, but there was little they could do.
After all, they would not fall out with a multinational corporation like Cape over a mere spokesman—just one of many voices of the Chamber.
The cost simply outweighed the benefit.
Of course, to show goodwill and prove they were not after Czarny's access to the Chamber's intelligence network, the Cape Group provided a considerable amount of information in return—particularly regarding the Ursus "evil god," the long-lived being who wandered the world for amusement… the Deathless Black Snake.
What had once been poaching became a transaction.
A mutually beneficial exchange that helped stabilize cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and the Cape Group.
"Mr. Czarny, you've left me quite the problem to deal with…"
Malkiewicz sighed.
Back then, it was Czarny who preserved and refined the Infected participation system in the Kazimierz Knight Tournament—first established when that so-called "god" from Ursus, who delighted in toying with the world, claimed the championship and opened the door for Infected competitors.
And ever since the true identity of the Laughing Knight was exposed, the Chamber of Commerce had come to despise that system with a passion.
They wanted, as much as possible, to remove… or rather, to distance themselves from the [Laughing Knight].
After all, knight tournaments relied on audience appeal to make money.
If the people of Kazimierz began to associate the Chamber of Commerce with that "god" from Ursus—the very nightmare that had once plagued the knightly wars—their reputations would inevitably suffer, and so would the sales of their affiliated products.
Yet Czarny had keenly noticed something.
The older generation in Kazimierz seemed to hold complicated feelings toward that being from Ursus, while many among the younger audience had already forgotten the brutality of the past wars. There were far fewer people who truly despised the [Laughing Knight] than expected.
And as society progressed, Infected knights were undoubtedly capable of generating immense profits for the Chamber of Commerce.
First, Infected knights were inexpensive. Compared to the old-school knights who clung stubbornly to outdated notions of honor and status, they were far easier for them to control.
Management might be somewhat troublesome, but for an organization that held the power of public opinion in its hands, it was nothing insurmountable.
More importantly, it catered perfectly to the overflowing "compassion" of the general audience, further boosting the Union's public image.
And so, Czarny persuaded them.
As expected, a more tolerant system for managing the Infected not only stimulated Kazimierz's economy, but also significantly reduced their recruitment costs for knights.
The rise of an Infected knight from Minos—the [Blood Knight]—who went on to win the championship, brought in considerable profits as well.
After all, most audiences loved novelty. And what could be more novel than an Infected becoming a champion knight?
It also greatly satisfied their sense of moral superiority.
"Look, even the Infected can become knights here. What other country is more progressive and enlightened than Kazimierz?"
As for the Infected's actual living conditions…
They did not care.
Most of the audience only cared about the glamour within the arena, turning a blind eye to the misery of everyday life.
"The next match…"
"The [Laughing Knight] is participating as well?"
"…"
"Why is everything happening at once lately…"
"I just hope nothing goes wrong in the arena… Right, I should also arrange a survey and see what the audience really thinks about him."
Malkiewicz let out a weary sigh as he picked up his communicator and returned to work.
In the end, a spokesperson was nothing more than a slightly higher-ranked employee.