Gunmage-Chapter 294: The things they’ll do

"But what I don’t understand is why Heieg would go along with this."

Before Cassius could respond, Sela cut in.

"Hold on. Hold on. Just one moment,"

She stated.

"Why is everyone acting like it’s already confirmed?"

They all turned to her, curious gazes settling on her face.

She continued.

"In the end, it’s all speculation from you guys, isn’t it?"

Cassius tilted his head slightly.

"Well, yes. I made sure to clarify that point before I explained anything."

Then she spoke again.

"And that’s why I don’t believe it."

They frowned.

"I don’t believe that Ophris and the Jade Tower would intentionally sacrifice the lives of thousands of innocent soldiers just to push their own agenda."

"They definitely would."

It was Lugh who responded, and his tone was steely—flat and cold.

Cassius simply shook his head. Rather than naïve, would it be better to term this girl idealistic?

Lugh continued.

"I don’t know about you, but have you ever noticed the way elves look at us?"

Sela and Mirelle both frowned.

They asked, almost in unison:

"How?"

He responded, his tone sharper now.

"Like objects."

The air turned heavy. His voice echoed, then faded, leaving behind a thick, stifling silence.

He was also the one to break it.

"In the better scenarios, they imagine us as pets."

He paused.

"Although they might not be as bad as the other magical races, by virtue of them living in a human kingdom, the prejudice is still there."

Sela spoke again, quietly.

"I don’t think Grandmother thinks of us as objects. She tries to be..."

But Lugh interrupted.

"But that’s the keyword there—she tries."

He paused.

"Do you have to try to see a human you’ve just met as a person? As someone with free will?"

He looked at her.

"It should come naturally, should it not?" freёnovelkiss.com

Sela fell into deep contemplation.

Lugh pressed on.

"That visible effort... it shows a kind of alienation from our basic mindsets. As for the reasons, I’m not sure. But I’d say a big factor is their age."

"Their age?"

She echoed.

"Yes."

He nodded. "An eighty-year-old woman sees the world differently from a teenage youth. So how differently would a person who’s lived a few centuries view things?"

He continued.

"Our grandmother, Selaphiel, once told me the prolonged use of magic leads to mental instability."

"What?!"

Everyone present flinched, but Lugh effectively ignored their reactions as he drove the point home.

He spoke with eerie calm.

"She also said it’s not very noticeable in humans, because of our low magical capabilities. It mostly manifests in the high-magic, long-lived races. Like elves."

Then he took a short pause before continuing.

"Here’s what I think."

"One: it might be an excuse. A convenient way to explain how warped and alien their minds have become with the long passage of time."

"Two: it could really be true, and magic does have a real, lasting effect on the psyche."

"The final—and most likely—possibility is that it’s a combination of both."

He turned his gaze back to Sela.

"So to answer you—yes. They are more than capable of such things. You haven’t even scratched the surface of the kind of atrocities they could commit without batting an eyelid."

As he spoke, memories of the inhumane underground lab manned by Enry surged through his mind. Images too sick to forget.

The shift in his mood was felt by the others. They tactfully kept quiet.

A short while passed before Cassius cleared his throat, gently moving the conversation forward.

"Yes. And even apart from that, a good number of Ophris soldiers that have been expended in the war are criminals. Bought even from neighbouring countries."

"Anyone with a twenty-year sentence, all the way up to death row verdicts, are brought here—where they don the uniform of the Ashborn Corps, and fight for their freedom.

Those that survive become provisional citizens of Ophris, although under special restrictions."

Lugh cross-checked the information with his memories, confirming Cassius was telling the truth. He nodded in agreement.

The youth continued.

"And as for Lugh’s question about what Heieg would get out of all this... well, there are quite a lot of things, actually."

"Although the supposed cause of the war was an assassination—and the burning of a temple—we’re certain they have other ulterior motives."

"I could start listing them off the top of my head, but there are so many benefits a war brings to Heieg that I’d need pen and paper just to detail everything."

"For one—we have resources."

"Oil. Wood. Fertile land. Fresh water. For a desert country, these conquered territories—which were, in reality, strategically abandoned—are more than enough. They can keep up the facade of a war just to continue enjoying the benefits."

"Not only that. The ongoing threat of war gives Heieg’s government the perfect excuse to enforce oppressive martial law. It grants them more control over the normally independent tribes."

"There are even rumours that a third, shadowy, independent party might be secretly funding them. If the war ends, their flow of resources ends too."

At this point, Mirelle spoke.

"So basically, this is a phony war? Both countries are pulling their punches because they each have something to gain?"

"It’s not that simple."

Cassius said it flatly. She frowned.

He explained.

"Although it’s a ’phony war,’ the hatred is very much real. Both countries have had disputes for centuries, and things have finally reached a tipping point."

"Full mobilization hasn’t happened—yet. But it’s only a matter of time."

"When the Jade Tower finishes... whatever the hell they’re doing... what do you think will happen?"

"Although we’re also gaining something from all this, they were the ones who attacked first. And they did so without warning. We’re simply taking advantage of the situation.

But once this is over, do you think the kingdom—or the prideful elves, who command a good amount of influence—would just let it slide?"

"As for Heieg, their military tech is only getting better. They’re making some kind of preparations—ones we don’t fully understand. Once that’s done, why would they settle for the small strip of territory they’ve already conquered?"

He looked around.

"The glass is full. And it will soon tip over. It’s only a matter of time before this war takes a totally hellish turn."

His voice dropped, quieter now.

"What my family is trying to do, however—"

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