B9 - Chapter 19: The Hero and the Tyrant

Minutes passed before Leo finally regained his bearings.

The nerves it had taken to publicly confront his brother, combined with the queen’s declaration and the adoring eyes of the people, had short-circuited his brain for a moment. Now, as clarity began to return, Leo turned to face Zeke, his mouth already full of apologies.

However, the spot where his brother had stood just moments ago was empty.

Looking around, Leo realized that Zeke had left. He had not even waited for the ceremony to conclude.

The realization of how angry his brother must have been made Leo’s guilt grow even stronger. It was no wonder. In the end, it had not been an enemy who had prevented the success of Zeke’s grand plan, but Leo himself.

His mood remained dim for the rest of the celebration. He barely took note of the pledges of support he received, the hundreds who promised to settle in his lands as soon as he established himself, or even the queen herself, who thanked him for doing the right thing.

It all went in one ear and out the other as Leo wondered how he could explain himself.

Finally, when the festivities died down and Leo’s group escorted the children back to the Alexandria, the dreaded moment arrived.

Leo stood in front of Zeke’s office. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves before bringing himself to knock.

“...Enter.”

Zeke’s voice was muffled by the door, but to Leo’s ears, it sounded as though his brother could barely bring himself to invite him in.

The door opened a crack, and Leo’s eyes immediately went to the seat behind the desk, where Zeke usually sat when tending to administrative matters. Now, however, the spot was empty.

Leo pushed the door open all the way and stepped inside, trying to make as little noise as possible. Then, he swept his gaze around the room in search of his brother.

Would he be standing by the windows, his back turned toward him? Or would he be reading a report, ignoring Leo to demonstrate his displeasure?

Leo was prepared to endure it, no matter what sort of attitude his brother took toward him.

However, what he was not prepared for was Zeke lying on the couch with his eyes closed, his head nestled in Akasha’s lap as she massaged his temples. On his face was the single most peaceful expression Leo had ever seen. Akasha glanced up for a moment at his entrance but soon refocused on her massaging duties.

Leo stood there, stunned. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came.

“You’re finally here,” Zeke remarked in the same tone Leo had heard through the door. Now, however, he realized that it had not been reluctance to invite him in, but sheer drowsiness.

For a while longer, Leo merely stared. Then, he asked tentatively, “...You’re not angry?”

Zeke didn’t open his eyes, but his mouth curved into a smile. “Should I be?”

Leo’s mind worked furiously. The current situation was nothing like he had expected, and all the apologies and promises he had thought up on the way here suddenly seemed meaningless.

“I betrayed you!” he blurted out. “How could you not be mad?”

Zeke cracked open one eye to glance at him. “You shouldn’t use that word so lightly,” he said admonishingly. “No such thing has happened.”

Leo felt an invisible weight lift from his shoulders. But he still didn’t dare raise his lowered head. “I went against your intentions. Publicly.”

Leo heard a long, drawn-out sigh from his brother as Zeke lifted himself from Akasha’s lap. Akasha continued to stare at the empty space where his head had been, a vacant look in her eyes.

“Leo.”

The single word was enough to snap him back to full attention. But there was still no anger on Zeke’s face.

“What do you think is the reason I didn’t tell you about my plans?” he asked.

“You said it would be harder for me to act naturally if I knew in advance...”

Zeke nodded. “Next question: Did you act naturally today?”

“I...” Leo hesitated. “I did what I thought was right.”

“That’s exactly what we call acting naturally, is it not?” Zeke asked with a slight smile.

Leo’s brows furrowed. “You wanted me to speak against you?"

“I hoped you would.”

“Why?”

“Why else?” Zeke asked in return. “Politics. Theatrics. Perception.”

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Leo shook his head. “I don’t understand. How could it be beneficial to show such division in our ranks?”

Zeke’s grin widened. “You think that’s what people saw today? Division?”

“Was it not?”

Zeke leaned slightly forward, his golden eyes glowing ominously in the dim surroundings. “Let me paint you a picture, dear brother. Imagine you were in the crowd today. Just a normal man. You know and understand nothing about politics...”

“...That’s not very hard to imagine,” Leo muttered.

Zeke ignored him.

“Now, imagine you see a foreign lord step onto that stage. Your queen, so majestic and domineering before, is nearly brought to tears. Your protector, who has humbled other lords for even a slight breach of etiquette, now cowers in fear in some corner. Meanwhile, that same man is looking down at you, strong-arming you into a deal you truly do not wish to accept.”

As Zeke told his story, faint images began to appear in the air between them. They depicted those exact events, but from the perspective of the crowd. The images made Zeke look like a despicable villain.

Leo glanced at Akasha, who was clearly responsible for the illusions.

“That is not an accurate description of what happened,” he protested. “It was Myriel who forced you into—”

“Shush,” Zeke cut him off. “I said you know nothing of politics.”

Leo shut his mouth, and Zeke continued.

“In that desperate situation, a hero steps forward. Someone you know to be of immaculate character. He faces that foreign lord and forces him to make all the concessions you could only dream of.”

The illusions showed Leo facing Zeke in a dramatic standoff that he ultimately won, with the villain retreating in defeat.

Zeke leaned back into the couch, his eyes returning to normal. “That is what they saw today.”

Leo remained silent for a long moment before asking, “Is that really all right? You are not some villain, and neither am I some sort of hero.”

Zeke shook his head gently. “You truly are not cut out for this. You’ve missed the most crucial part of the story.”

Leo scowled at him, but Zeke’s smile only brightened beneath his glare. “What did I miss?”

Zeke pointed at the illusion. But not at the figure of the hero standing on stage. Instead, he indicated the two people who had become nothing more than background characters: the queen and Lady Myr.

“Them,” Zeke said. “They looked weak. Helpless. Myr tried to be forceful, only to be defeated by a single word from the tyrant. As for Myriel? Do you think I was the only one who noticed how she kept looking to you for salvation?”

Leo had thought her glances quite subtle, but it seemed that had not been the case at all.

“Perhaps half the crowd missed them,” Zeke continued. “It doesn’t matter. The other half saw, and by tomorrow, they will have told everyone else exactly what those glances meant.”

“Even if that was not what she intended?”

Zeke gave him a pitying look. “Especially then.”

Leo fell silent.

“Today, the people learned two important facts,” Zeke began in an ominous voice. “First, the Tyrant of House Hohenheim cannot be contained by the likes of the queen.”

“I don’t know if that is a good thing,” Leo commented, though even he was beginning to realize how positioning oneself above such a revered figure in the people’s minds could be beneficial.

“And second,” Zeke continued as though he hadn’t heard him, “in all of Rukia, there is only one man who can bend the tyrant’s will.”

Zeke looked at him expectantly.

“...The hero,” Leo muttered.

Zeke nodded. “Leo von Hohenheim, Guardian of the North and lord of the single largest territory in all of Rukia. A land that will soon contain some of its greatest industries and most profitable ventures.”

Leo remained silent for a long moment before asking the one thing he still did not understand. “But... the concessions I forced you to make. Our workshops, the defenses...”

Zeke’s expression remained placid.

“The workshops were already at capacity,” he said. “Now that we have switched to military applications, Tradespire can no longer support our expected output. I’ve been looking into acquiring a new site for some time, and northern Rukia is well situated. Over half our materials are sourced from the elves.”

Leo narrowed his eyes. “You avoided answering the second part.”

Zeke clicked his tongue.

“Paying for the defense was more than I intended to concede,” he admitted. “I had hoped to get some promises from the crown to make up for the expense.”

A strange sense of satisfaction bloomed in Leo’s chest.

“So I did cause you some trouble.”

“You sound far too pleased about that.”

Leo’s lips twitched. “I am merely relieved to know I did not spend the entire ceremony dancing in your palm.”

“Don’t become too proud then,” Zeke warned. “The expense is inconvenient, not disastrous. Paying the bill myself means I can use my private soldiers instead of placing them under the queen’s command. We retain full autonomy, and truth be told, it’s not as though we could simply let monsters run wild through our lands.”

A particular glint entered Zeke’s eyes, one Leo had often seen on the faces of the merchants in Tradespire.

“Besides, do you have any idea how profitable those monster corpses are? If you ask me, the monsters coming from the Great Forest could be even more valuable than the land itself.”

“But do we even have the forces to defend the entire territory?”

Zeke waved him off. “Others might not, but how could the shadow ruler of Undercity ever lack manpower? Elder Tiger and Elder Dragon were practically salivating when I told them I would allow their people to handle it.”

Leo’s mouth nearly dropped open. “Was that how you convinced them to swear fealty so publicly?”

Zeke smiled.

It seemed his brother had anticipated far more than Leo had realized. Still, the small admission had reassured him. His choices had still been his own, not simply those of a puppet who couldn't see its strings. Zeke had merely been quick enough to turn the damage to his advantage.

Then, Leo remembered his final demand.

A bad premonition came over him.

“Then... what about the children?”

At this, Zeke burst out laughing. “That was truly a welcome surprise,” he said. “I’ve been racking my brain for a way to bring the matter up. But how could the queen agree if I asked her to send all the children my way? It would look far too suspicious. You really came through for me on that one.”

Leo’s expression turned strange. “You... want them? All of them?”

Zeke looked at him as though he were a fool. “Weren’t we just talking about expanding our faction? Who could be better suited? Half-elves are among the most magically gifted species, I’ll have you know. Besides, other than you and me, who has more reason to hate the Empire than them?”

Leo felt a twinge of unease at those words.

“You aren’t going to turn them into death-sworn assassins or something, are you?”

Zeke’s look grew even stranger. “Death-sworn assassins?”

“You just spoke about children who hate the Empire as though you had discovered an especially promising shipment of ore.”

Zeke simply shrugged. “The children's future has nothing to do with me, as I am not their lord."

Leo's breath caught. "What are you saying..."

"Surely, you didn’t expect me to manage your territory for you while you enjoyed all the glory, did you, Guardian of the North?”

This time, Leo’s mouth actually dropped open. “You... are not?”

Zeke didn’t answer. He merely smiled. Then, he slowly lay back down, placing his head in Akasha’s lap once more. She promptly resumed massaging his temples.

“Get some sleep, Guardian,” Zeke said with his eyes closed. “You are going to have a long day tomorrow.”