District 42-Chapter 361: I beg you

Casper nodded in understanding after Wayland finished his story. Now, everything was clear to him.

He supposed that there would be a lot of things behind the history of District 42, but to think that it was something so big... He barely could absorb that information all at once.

Wayland didn’t expect him to say anything after what he told. The Forger was aware of how much things needed to be taken into consideration before concluding.

Nonetheless, the bald man was aware of Casper’s potential. He knew that the soldier was surely capable to understand why he disrespected those last sentences of Leif.

The White warrior, just as he supposed, didn’t last much to answer him properly.

"District 42 may be addressed as some sort of experiment, right? Leif didn’t see them as folk that he should care for, but people who would prove whether he was crazy or a genius, the only man who could make the perfect society."

Wayland nodded. Casper really was good when thinking about things. He was a fair person, after all. He could have empathy with the human beings around him better than anyone else.

"That’s about right, White warrior. That was roughly how he saw the world around him. It is quite unfair of me to judge him at this point, but there is nothing I can do about it. As the years passed, I left behind that image of a land conqueror, adventurer, and inventor of mine, and ascended to another level, so to speak.

"In other words, you can say that I am more mature than I was and wiser, and... Fed up. I am fed up with all this situation that repeats itself all the time. I am fed up to see this society crumbling down. I didn’t want to see whether Leif’s ideas would be worth it or not. The only thing that crossed my mind when I saw all these people suffering every day for my and his fault, was that I needed to fix this mess." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Wayland pointed at the huge screen of Forge42 again, to the huge number 3 at the end of the calculation.

"That’s why I added a third element on the equation. I needed to stop this nonsensical cycle and start everything again, from the zero stage."

Wayland’s face was getting grimmer as he spitted out every reason why he have been fighting for so long. As time passed, this grim expression turned into a painful one, then into a melancholic one.

The man broke in front of Casper. Someone who seemed to be powerful enough to control everyone and to have everything that he desired, showed to be not a god but a mere human.

Just a human that made a lot of mistakes.

A human like...

’A human just like me...’ He thought, staring intently at that sad man in front of him.

"I mean..." Wayland started again, in a choked voice, "I am the founder of this place as well. Before, I thought that it was something superficial. However, after seeing so many deaths, so many conflicts, so many children without parents, and parents without children, lack of food, lack of home... All these things piled up and slowly I began to care about them and watch them more.

"Soon, I realized that I was the one who helped to make things turn out to be like this. If anything, I am the major culprit of everything, because it started right after I could bring up a good idea to come to reality.

"Slowly, I noticed that I, too, had responsibilities. So, how could I stay quiet and not say or do anything to change it? That’s impossible! I won’t allow being this kind of person! Not anymore."

Wayland got off of his chair, kneeling on the ground and bowing to Casper. Tears were falling from his eyes. That was a hurtful thing to do. After all, The Forger just showed a joyful and smiling figure until then. Having that figure getting broken all of a sudden wasn’t something less than shocking.

"So, it is something that affects him, this much, huh?" Casper murmured to himself, thoughtful.

Wayland crawled slowly, approaching Casper’s feet. Just then the soldier realized that the man didn’t just lose strength on his legs due to his broken state. He fell on his knees to beg Casper.

"White warrior, please... You are the only person that will be capable to do it. I can trust just in you by this time. I beg you to help the district. I beg you to end this war and return the freedom that this folk deserves. Please, fix the awful mistakes that I made when I was young!"

The soldier kneeled in front of Wayland, placing his hand on his shoulder and smiling gently.

"To be honest, I don’t need to hear anything more, Wayland." He made sure that his words didn’t sound aggressive at all. His voice was soft. Casper could empathize with him.

"I know how it is to make some mistakes, thinking that you are doing the right thing. I know how it is to be powerless to solve them afterward. Also, I understand how you must be feeling haunted every day by your sins.

"But, listen, different from me, you don’t need to take all these burdens alone anymore." Casper hit his own chest with his fist. "I am here, and I will be the one helping you to wash all these sins once and for all."

Wayland raised his head, looking at him in disbelief.

"B-but, you don’t even know me! Even though my intentions aren’t bad, I destroyed your life and forced you into a situation that you never desired to live, fighting a war that you wasn’t meant to fight!"

Casper nodded.

"Yeah. Thank you for this. Because, after knowing all these people here, I finally found again a reason to fight. Who knows if the same thing would happen back in my world?"

Casper got up, wearing a confident smile.

"Don’t worry, Wayland. My next movement will be the last. This war will surely end!"