Chapter Number 190 - Trust

"I don't need such a thing to protect myself."

The man said this with confidence.

Perhaps he was certain of his own martial skills, or perhaps he had another weapon hidden in his coat.

Or perhaps he had an ability which allowed him such confidence.

"Ah, I suppose it is my turn to ask you something. Hmm... when was the last time you saw Marcus and Sylvia?"

The man - Donovan - didn't seem to hesitate for even a moment, continuing this game of questions.

"It was a bit over a week ago. We were at the school and they left to gather supplies and never returned. I had no idea what they were up to, but I couldn't have predicted that they would have killed your uncle in that time. They didn't seem like the type of people who would kill needlessly... but maybe he did something to trigger them."

"Hah... I see. You have quite a bit of trust in them. But, setting aside whether my uncle did something, what of this tyranny that they have created? Surely there is no justification for such a thing. As far as I am aware, most of the people they've enslaved were innocent."

"That's another question. It's my turn. Thanks for that info though."

Snapping back with this response, the man looked a bit shocked as Shane didn't take the bait that was laid before him.

"Haha... I see. You've seen through me. Then, go ahead. Ah, but I will admit that I did lie just now."

With this slip of the tongue, the man continued to say irritating things, and this time Shane couldn't simply ignore his words.

"I said those people were innocent, but that would be a lie."

"..."

Shane said nothing in response to Donovan's statements, merely waiting to see what else he would say.

"After all, there is no person in this world who is truly innocent."

----

"Is that all you have to say? I already knew that."

With a disappointed sigh, Shane realized that this man was just trying to mess with him.

If he thought that he could intimidate him with mere wordplay, he was in for a rude awakening.

'I've been through more than this. You're not going to shake me anymore.'

"Next question. I was going to ask this one earlier, but I'll ask it again."

Leaning forward, the boy didn't have any further hesitation as he gripped the weapon in his hand.

"What is your ability?"

"So we're back to this... well, it wouldn't be fair of me to refuse to answer. Though I have already given you hints."

The man closed his eyes, seemingly considering his options.

"Very well. I'll reveal my ability to you. Whether you know it or not, I cannot use it on you. But I do have a condition."

Raising a finger, the man gazed at each of the three before flashing a smile.

"This information must be kept between the members of this room. Is that acceptable?"

"And if we don't?"

"Then... you'll die."

Suddenly, the man pulled out an item from his pocket.

It was small and black, and Shane immediately knew what it was upon seeing it.

It was a radio transmitter.

"Testing, testing. Can you read me?"

"What is it? I'm quite busy, and don't particularly feel like speaking to you any longer than I have to."

"So rude as always. Come to my office, will you? I have a couple of survivors who are in need of your services."

As Donovan made this suggestion, the transmitter became silent, as if the person on the other end was thinking.

"It's those children, isn't it?"

"Correct. They have a connection between those people, so this is necessary."

"I see. I'll be over soon."

With this, the transmitter went silent, at which the man slid it into his pocket with a smile.

"All of the electronics have been fried since the beginning of the Calamity, so we've had to rely on such primitive tools for communication. Even getting a signal sent to a single person is difficult."

The man explained without provocation, at which Shane nodded lightly.

'So they have access to communications... that's pretty dangerous, given the state of the world.'

After all, the most powerful weapon in the world was information.

"Back to the matter at hand, are you saying that you'll pursue us if we spill the information? That doesn't seem very guaranteed. Or are you simply that confident in your ability to kill anyone?"

"I am quite confident in our ability to track and slaughter a group of children, but that isn't exactly what I had in mind regarding this agreement."

Opening a drawer, the man pulled a piece of paper out of his desk, and grabbing a pen he began to write on it hastily.

A few moments passed, and the man slid the paper over to Shane.

"This is... a contract?"

"Indeed. A contract."

As Shane gazed upon the paper, it read the following.

[Donovan Stirling shall divulge his reawakening ability to the three undersigned persons. In exchange, the three undersigned shall not speak a word of this ability to any external parties. Failure to ensure the conditions of this contract shall result in death.]

"So you're having us sign an agreement that says that we'll keep quiet, or else we'll die? What difference does this make between a verbal agreement? It's not like there are courts or lawyers anymore."

Shane couldn't understand the strange actions of the man, however as he questioned this behavior, the door slid open.

"Ahem... contracts are a sacred thing, you know."

All eyes focused on the door as it opened, at which a particular man entered the room, a serious expression covering his face.

"To those who would view a contract as nothing more than a legally binding measure... then perhaps they should not be signing any contracts in the first place."

Taking a seat next to the three, the man spoke with a grand tone, taking control of the entire room with his very presence.

"But as for those who would break such a contract... regardless of whether legal action is taken... they must understand a simple fact."

And as the man took the contract into his hand, his eyes scanning each of the lines that were written, he held out his hand - at which a stamp formed out of thin air.

The man took the stamp, sealing the document before standing once more, at which he began to take his leave.

"The results will be enforced."

And with this single word - the man who had been serving the soup earlier headed for the door.

"Ah... I suppose I had only told you my first name earlier."

Just before exiting, the man let out a snide comment, chuckling to himself as he stood in the doorway.

"My name is Evan... Evan Stirling."

----

Evan Stirling.

Donovan Stirling.

Casino Owner.

The moment this man had stated his last name, Shane immediately made the connection.

"Wait."

Calling out to the man, Shane stood up from his seat as he confronted him.

"Is there some other business you have with me?"

The man stopped in his tracks, shooting these words without so much as turning backwards, his hands in his coat pocket as he stood still.

As Shane approached the man, his breath was taken away at the strange calmness that the man held, yet even so the boy spoke up.

"You... who are you really?"

He asked this question, to which the man closed his eyes.

"I have already stated my name... therefore I presume you are asking for more than that."

Even so, the man refused to turn around as he gave his answer, speaking in a cryptic tone which sent chills down the spine of the boy.

"I am a man who bears witness to agreements... and enforces results. No matter how brutal they may be."

With these words, the man walked off, heading into that darkened hallway which was devoid of lighting.

"Now if you'll excuse me... I have my own agreements to attend to."

----

"Sorry about that. My brother... he isn't a very sociable one, is he? Always too strict about everything, unable to adapt to the people he's speaking with."

Once the mysterious man had taken his leave, Donovan spoke more casually, almost as if to lighten the mood.

Of course - such a thing was ineffective.

"At any rate... the contract has been signed, therefore I will tell you."

With a grand grin, the man stood up, spreading his arms as he bore a smile down upon the three.

"My ability, that is."

His attention having returned to the man in question, Shane gripped his knees, bearing the wait as the man put on airs.

"Words.... words are everything. We live in a world that can be controlled by words. Certainly, violence exists - and perhaps there are many places and situations in which violence is predominant. However in all the affluent places in this world, it is not the most violent who stands on top."

With a grin that seemed to desire the entire world, the man slicked back his hair as he spoke.

"It is the one who has the prettiest words."

Heading over to the woman who worked as his assistant, the man gazed up and down the woman, who merely stood still as he assessed her.

"Violence and force are useful tools - tools which many can use to take control. Yet if one is to become truly great in this world, they must first understand that these are nothing more than that - tools."

Placing his hand upon the woman's chest, the man blatantly groped her in front of the children, at which Shane almost jumped out of his seat to stop him.

However the moment he was met with the glare of the man, he immediately realized.

He was in no place to make a single movement.

"Violence can take much, yet with violence alone - there will always be a limitation to the extent that can be controlled. For when violence is used as a tactic, more violence will breed. And eventually, as the violence expands - so too will the chaos."

The man asserted his dominance, both over the woman who stood perfectly still without resistance - and over the three who were powerless to do anything but witness his degenerate actions.

"And eventually, there will be nothing left that any amount of violence could possibly hope to control."

Then, without so much as acknowledging the woman, he slung her arm around her as he grabbed her chin - further enforcing a single sentiment.

That she was his property - and nothing more.

"So what is a man to do if he truly wishes to control everything?"

Removing his arm from the woman's mouth, the man calmly returned to his desk with casual strides, taking a seat as he threw his legs upon the desk.

At the snap of his fingers, the woman immediately stepped forward, massaging his shoulders at his very command - without so much as an order.

"Only a master of words will truly be capable of controlling this entire world."

It was as this man spoke that the three immediately understood that their opponent was no mere businessman.

"And what words would be able to control a person... other than those that can reassure the ignorant masses - deluding them into depending upon the hero who stands at their head?"

With a grin, the man closed his eyes as the woman continued to massage him, at which Shane knew not what to do.

"I am that false hero - and my ability is to reassure those who trust in me... so that all worry is removed from their very perception of reality."

With a chuckle, the man opened his eyes as he grabbed the cup of tea, chugging it all down in a single motion.

The woman immediately pulled out a handkerchief, wiping the man's mouth for him as she further degraded herself to nothing more than a tool.

"Trust... it's such a pretty word, isn't it? We love to tell others that we trust them... and we certainly love when others tell us that they trust us. And yet... there is no fundamental difference between trust and dependance."

Clicking his tongue, the man seemed to speak with disgust in his tone, tapping his shoulders as the woman continued to massage him.

"The very act of trusting a person requires that responsibility for a set of tasks is shoved onto that person. If this is not the case, then there is no trust at all. Yet if this is the case, is trust not merely putting a heavier burden onto the very person we believe in?"

Reaching back behind him, the man wrapped his arms around the neck of the woman as he laid back, his head resting upon her chest as she performed the role that she had been assigned.

"It is a wicked and selfish thing - trusting in someone."

----

"Are you going to stop touching that woman?"

This was what Shane wanted to say - yet could not.

This man's words, his actions - everything about him was unsalvageable.

Yet it was exactly the unsalvageable nature of this person that made Shane understand just how much control he held.

The woman made no movement to resist, the idea not even present in her mind.

Perhaps the very concept that she was being harassed had been removed from her.

'That is what it means... to be reassured.'

When a person trusts in another, that trust is a powerful thing.

It is never easy to obtain the trust of a person. It requires patience, effort, and sacrifice. But once you trust in a person, that trust becomes near unbreakable.

No matter what the person may do, the trust will overcome immediate emotions and thoughts - allowing a person to merely watch even as someone they trust does something horrid.

'Perhaps... I am the same way.'

When a person trusts another, they continuously form reasons in their own mind for the actions of the person - denying the possibility that such a person is merely acting in their own selfish interests.

When two people are in an abusive relationship, everyone around them will usually see with clear eyes that the relationship should be cut off. The two people will be surrounded by advice on both sides telling them to get rid of the other.

And yet why is it that - despite the fact that everyone else can see the reality of the situation so clearly - that the two in question can never see such a thing?

Trust.

They trust one another.

A man or woman trusts that their partner is not out with another person.

They trust that the abusive partner will change their ways.

They trust that the yelling, the beating, the arguments, will all one day cease - and that they can bring the relationship to that point.

Perhaps this woman, too, trusted Donovan without any hesitation.

"Yet... that's nothing more than manipulation, isn't it?"

Whispering these words under his breath, the man in front of him folded his hands, leaning forward with a grand smile.

"Exactly - my boy."

With a nod, the man seemed almost proud, speaking fondly towards Shane like a father would towards a son.

"The very basis of all manipulation... is trust."

----

"Are we... going to return to our game?"

The man before him was wicked.

What other word could Shane have possibly used to describe such a thing?

He was someone who was loved and trusted by so many people - and he had used that very trust, combined with his "Reassure" ability to manipulate those people into an inescapable vortex.

They had become nothing more than his tools, and they didn't even realize that much.

It all made sense now.

The survivors Shane had met seemed slightly off, as if they weren't acting normally.

Shane couldn't quite pinpoint it, but the strangest thing was the excessive amount of reverence that they treated Donovan with.

"You're not going to press me with questions about my ability? How can I use it? How have I used it?"

Donovan tilted his head slightly as Shane pressed him to continue - perhaps expecting a bit more of a shock from the boy, who maintained his composure quite well.

"Even if I did that, you would just tell me that it's your turn to ask a question. Am I wrong?"

"Smart, smart, smart. You really are learning, boy. It's quite a shame that you don't trust me in the slightest. But even if you don't trust me, perhaps we could come to some sort of agreement to assist one another. It would be nice to have a set of allies who are not mindless sheep."

"You want to work together? For what?"

As the man made a strange proposal, Shane was taken aback in his seat.

Just what could he offer that would get Shane to comply after revealing his true self?

Surely he understood that nobody would work with him after witnessing his disagreeable character. That was exactly why he put on a different persona when dealing with people.

"Indeed... for what? Let me ask you a question, boy. You can consider this my turn in our game. Do you believe my words that Marcus and Sylvia have overtaken a group of... relatively innocent people - and are acting as tyrants?"

Turning the topic back to its main focus, the man realized that his tea had run dry, picking up the cup before placing it down once more.

"Bailey."

"Yes Sir. I will prepare more immediately."

The woman headed over to the stove as she prepared another pot, at which the man stared intently at Shane, awaiting his answer.

"I... I can't say for certain whether I believe you or not. A lot might have happened between now and-"

"You believe me, don't you?"

Speaking with confidence, the man nodded to himself as he read Shane's reaction.

"But why is it that you believe me? If they were the kind hearted people that you claim them to be, would you not have unwavering trust in them? Perhaps... there was a side to them that was not so trustworthy?"

Hitting the nail on the head, the man pressed Shane only for his reactions - not expecting an answer to his questions.

"So after all... they are people who are capable of wickedness... and you yourself understand this. Which is why you cannot say for certain whether you believe me."

"What of it?"

Throwing aside all pretension, Shane shot these words back at the man.

"Yeah, I don't trust them completely. And yeah, it might be possible for them to have done something like that. But I'm sure they had a reason for doing so."

This time, Shane had lied.

No, he had not lied. Rather, he had told the truth with misinformation.

'I'm sure they had a reason for doing so.'

This piece alone was true - their reason being that there were monsters living within them.

"Hmm... I see. Do you not wish to stop them? Or at least to find out the situation for yourself?"

"Even if... even if they truly have become the tyrants that you say they are, there's no way someone like me could even hope to stop them."

"So you have that much confidence in their abilities?"

At this point, the game of questions had ended - and a new game had begun.

No longer were the two taking turns as it turned from a game to a normal discussion - though one which held heavy implications.

"I have a lot of confidence in my lack of ability."

At this statement, the man became quiet for a moment, tapping his fingers upon the desk as he thought.

"If you did have some way to assist me in defeating them, would you?"

"No."

An immediate answer.

It was not something that Shane could put off and claim that he was merely weak.

Indeed - he had vowed to get stronger.

More so than that, there were a number of cards he could play - though many wouldn't be useful against those two monsters.

Even so, he had no desire to go against them.

After all - his sister would soon become one of them.

"I see. It would seem that our discussion here is wrapping up. One more question."

Standing up, the man now walked in front of his desk as he stood before the three, his gaze lowering as he met the eyes of each of them.

"Which one of you is going to become my hostage?"

----