Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

The next morning, news from Higgins, who had gone to the court to gather information, arrived, stating the boy who committed murder was sentenced to compensate with two thousand gold marks and his military service was extended by one year.


Durin didn't know if such a punishment was fair in the Human World, but judging from Higgins' tone over the phone, he didn't consider it just.


He mocked the numerous staff in the Northern Kingdom's court, annotating with the comment, "Pigs could be more humane than them just by doing nothing."


Gazing at Fabien's smiling face in the photo frame above the fireplace, Durin finally made his decision—he put on a grey double-breasted trench coat, which was usually worn by the Grassland Elves during confession. Durin wore it for the first time to pull up the hood when he stepped into the small temple of the God of Vengeance.


Chapter 35: The Past