KINTSUkuroi
[Chapter XVII] - A Legacy to Protect

"Kidnapped, huh? And why would you turn to me for help? You must despise me for what I did to him." Setsuna commented with clear skepticism in her voice.

"You're absolutely right about that. I do despise you. In fact, I would very much like to lock you in a dark room so that you can never cheat on anyone else ever again. But sadly we can't always have what we want, now do we? But the reason why I chose to enlist your support is because Ciel Surelle, the woman that kidnapped my Nicky, hates you just as much as I do. In fact, the only difference between us in that regard is that she won't hesitate to destroy you if given the opportunity, so the way I see it one of two things may happen: either you bring Nicky back to me and I might consider absolving you from your wrongdoings, or you fail and end up as an unfortunate casualty. Needless to say, I would much prefer the former outcome, but if it turns out to be the latter then I'll just mourn your loss... for about a second and a half, and then move on." Siule explained in a matter-of-fact manner.

"And if I refuse?" Setsuna challenged.

"You'll replace out that I have many pacifistic ways to persuade you." the brown-haired woman retorted.

"I'll do it, on one condition: once I replace Nicolas, I want to speak to him. Privately." the black-haired female advanced.

"Ah, dear. That's not how you negotiate. First and foremost, a negotiation takes place when both sides are on equal footing, which is most definitely NOT the case here. Still, I'm a generous lady, so I'm willing to compromise... to some degree. You will have your chance to speak to Nicky, like you wish, but I'll be there as well, listening to every single word that comes out of your treacherous mouth. Also, you'll be given a reasonable time limit. Let's say... one minute. Of course, these conditions apply on the assumption that Nicky comes back unharmed. If there's a much as a scratch on his skin, you shall not be granted these benefits." the castleton-green-eyed lass countered.

'Just you wait, you sarcastic fuck... I'll teach you about 'negotiation'.' the woman in black silently declared.

"Fine, it's not like I have much of a choice anyway." she spoke in her monotonous voice.

"Well would you look at that! You can be sensible when you want to —Siule feigned surprise—! Very well, then. I'll tell you how you will go about your mission." the tawny-haired lady informed her.

"What do you mean you suspect Giants may have been involved in Savan's assassination?" Salvius asked, indignant about Nicolas' theory.

"No matter how I look at it, Mr. Astregas. Savan wasn't someone who could get easily caught off-guard. I'm sure I need not tell you that much. And even if she had been, how many Humans would it have taken to claim her life? Certainly not the very few that came into Giant territory recently. That's why my best guess is that these Humans, which I can safely assume are... Damien Jies and Lena Craile... have been supported by one or more Giants." Nicolas explained, clearly struggling to come to terms with the fact that his adoptive parents were the ones who instigated Savan's murder.

"Why is this happening? After all Savan did to ensure a peaceful coexistence between Giants and Humans... Was it all in vain?" Salvius sighed sadly.

"Not at all, Dad! Mom's left us a legacy! And now it's our duty to uphold it! I won't allow the world Mom created to die like this! I will fight to protect it, and to protect the little man I love!" Ciel declared, causing Nicolas to blush darkly.

"I agree with Ciel, Mr. Astregas. We need to honour Savan's memory by defending the world she dreamed of. That's why I want to understand what the trigger to this situation may have been. I'm certain that Savan's Human-favouring policies must have earned her a number of detractors here. How feasible would it be for that to be what instigated Savan's murder?" Nicolas considered the scenario.

"Not very, I'd think. As you said, there were some Giants who didn't quite appreciate their position of power and dominance being put in jeopardy, but no one was ever remotely vocal enough for us to suspect foul play." Ciel's father commented.

"I see. That leads me to my second theory, which is that someone may have killed Savan in order to ascend to power." the Human said.

"But even if that was the case, Ciel would immediately take over as Regent of the Giants since she has the evolved Macrosia genes." Salvius noted.

"Very true, but what if..." Nicolas didn't manage to finish his sentence as he started to shake violently. This startled Salvius, who didn't know what to say to calm him down. Ciel, on the other hand, knew perfectly well why he was trembling in such a manner.

"If I were to die, which I will most definitely not —she emphasised this last part as she clutched Nicolas close to her chest in order to make him feel at ease—, there would be a power vacuum." the black-haired Giantess explained.

"W-Which would be the p-perfect opportunity for someone to f-forcefully take control, in other words, the conditions would be optimal for a dictatorship." the male concluded.

"But that means...!" Salvius seemed to realise what he was getting at.

"That if my theory is correct, the one behind the murder of Savan would be the strongest of all Giants." Nicolas determined.

"...That only gives us one possible candidate." Salvius stated.

"Dad! Surely you don't mean-!" Ciel tried to protest but Salvius slowly nodded his head.

"Brigadier General of the Giant Army, Zeniel Exandra... also known as the 'Blind Titania'.