When Angels Sin

10. The Prophecy

Mikal

Everyone stared at Mikal in utter silence, plain shock written on their faces. Mikal knew that what he had just suggested was considered pure blasphemy, and for such a suggestion to come from someone like him, out of all the people in the North, was beyond all expectations. But he knew that no one would dare say a word, for he was still the most influential person in Nordenland.

"Sir Mikal, allow me to remind you," Sir Sigurd was the first one to dare break the silence, senseless as he was, his voice hesitant, "it is a forbidden thing for humans to hold a weapon and fight in – "

"I am quite aware of that Sir Sigurd," Mikal cut him off. "It is also forbidden to kill Engelmen, yet we are speaking of war where we will kill hundreds of our kind."

"This is a different matter," The old Lord Hadrian of the neighboring castle of Cyla said. "We are not killing Engelmen for the sake of killing. This is war, and if we do not kill our enemies, they will kill us."

"Then it's the same with using human soldiers. If we do not use our humans, their humans will kill us," Mikal said.

"Sir Mikal," it was Hilda who spoke for the first time with a confident smile, and her stern face was instantly transformed. Mikal realized that she was in fact not that ugly after all. "First of all, allow me to express my sincere gratitude for your keen interest in finding the most suitable way to conquer the invading Western forces and restore my beloved and precious home, and I have to say, your valuable suggestion to use humans in our forces might sound promising hypothetically speaking, but if applied in reality it would be, if you allow me, an absolute disaster."

Mikal tried not to laugh. Hilda had not opened her mouth since she and her parents set foot in Nordenvania a week ago, and when she finally spoke for the first time now, it seemed like she wanted to fit all the words she knew in one sentence. Mikal was not the only one who must have thought her weird, for he could hear the muffled chuckles that rose within the hall.

"An absolute disaster?" he repeated, smiling in amusement.

"Yes Sir Mikal," Hilda continued with the same assured smile on her face. "Apart from needing ages to train them well enough to engage in war anyway, allowing human slaves to hold weapons is not a simple matter. We cannot trust how long they will hold them against our enemies before they turn them against us. You are simply providing them with unnecessary access to power, which I am quite certain is not something you look forward to. That is unless you don't mind finding them ruling us one day."

The hall was suddenly filled with amused chuckles and snorts at her unrealistic conclusion.

"The humans can never rule us. We are still far more powerful," Mikal said, his deep voice forcing the presence into silence.

"You are quite misinformed Sir Mikal!" Hilda said. "The humans are not as weak as everyone thinks. In fact, it is in their weakness where their strength lies. Physically inferior yes, but mentally? Oh trust me, the humans are very intelligent creatures, and their lack of physical strength is what drives their minds to device the most destructible means to fight us with. See how they managed to utilize demon stone to hinder our power of Light! And if you give them a chance to access more power, you are also doing the great mistake of allowing the prophecy to come true, just too soon."

Mikal looked up blankly at Hilda. Her prolonged speech was confusing enough already. But what the hell did she mean by the prophecy?

"What prophecy?" someone asked, mirroring Mikal's thoughts. Hilda looked up at the presence in exasperation, apparently shocked that no one seemed to know what she was talking about. But of course, no one knew.