Make Rammstein Great Again

Estefan walked toward the window, peering down at the city, a gesture said to be habitual among those born of Angeras blood.

"I must say." He murmured while looking at the City through the window, "For a city cursed by people like you… and those criminals, it's done a decent job staying alive for nearly two whole decades."

He watched in silence. Despite decades of corruption, conflict, and apathy, Rammstein endured. It was battered, but not broken. A surviving relic. A wounded beast still breathing.

"It's sad… and beautiful." He said while watching how the City is begging him for its revival.

Turning, he faced the last living councillor. "But survival alone isn't enough. Now, it's time to thrive. To be great again… led by me." He smirked. "I call it… Make Rammstein Great Again." He chuckled. "Sounds ridiculous, I know. But before greatness comes, I have to clear out the trash." He looked at Vetrigar.

He punctuated his point by kicking one of the councillor's severed heads like a ball. It hit the far wall with a wet, bone-cracking thud, splattering blood and brain matter across the stone.

"I know, it's a bit dark." Estefan said casually, gazing at the bloodied wall. "But is it really my fault? I didn't bring the city to this state and you guys were literally asking for this at this point."

Vetrigar stayed silent, trembling. He couldn't escape as he could only listen to the Baron. A cornered rat praying the cat loses interest or be played with till death.

Estefan turned his gaze to the old man. "Relax. I won't kill you. Not yet." He knelt slightly, looking Vetrigar in the eye. "Because I value something now." He stood up again. "Information."

He pointed at the stack of documents laid before him. "These? Useless." He then pointed at Vetrigar's head. "But that... that's the real treasure. You've served for four decades. You know more than anyone."

Vetrigar lowered his head in shame, he survived for nearly four decades staying in a position of power in the City as it's bound to ensure that he would know more than anyone in the City.

"I read up before coming here." Estefan continued. "You won every election. Never lost once. That's rare in politics."

He clapped mockingly. "Four decades of winning. You must've seen everything. Got bribed, turned a blind eye, built alliances. You did what you had to do to stay in power."

The old man said nothing. But his silence spoke volumes confirming the words of Estefan who simply watched as the old man sat there in defeat.

"So use that wrinkled old brain," Estefan said, pacing behind him. "Tell me everything."

Vetrigar's eyes flicked toward Galliard. Estefan caught it. "Hey, Galliard, get out. Make sure the rest of the building's cleared too."

Galliard at first looked at Vetrigar before bowing to Estefan and exited the place after making sure none remained excluding both Estefan and Vetrigar.

Estefan faced Vetrigar again, halting his steps. "You know, it's funny." He smirked, "My father sent me here hoping that this City would be my very end where everyone including yourself causing my death."

The old man blinked. Estefan noticed the shock on his face. "What? Surprised?" he asked. "You thought he wanted me to kill you all?"

He laughed bitterly. "No, no. My father doesn't even like me. He sent me here expecting this cesspit to devour me. But, as you can see, I'm not so easily killed and I wanted to make sure that I can clean up this City as much as I can without being stupid like my father."

Vetrigar muttered, "It doesn't make sense." He couldn't believe those words, all these times he was thinking that Estefan was sent here by the Duke to kill him and everyone else on the Duke's behalf but now all this was simply a trap for Estefan to die, not them surprising him.

"Exactly!" Estefan barked. "He hid me for twenty years and tried to hand the title to my half-brother. That pampered bastard wouldn't rule a chicken coop but rather remain at one of the brothels here. But he's got one thing I don't: everyone including my father's support and not to mention the fact of being the nephew of the bloody King of this country."

Vetrigar started connecting the dots. No knights. No curfew. Ceasefire lifted. The Duke had set the stage, accidents were expected. Fatal ones which were meant to remove Estefan as smoothly as possible without any issues for the Duke.

"So that's why the ceasefire was revoked… The Knights were leaving…" Vetrigar whispered after the realisation of the truth hit him.

"Bingo." Estefan confirmed. "But you figured it out too late. You were too busy swimming in the bloodied money those criminals gave you."

The City was to be a death trap for Estefan and they were supposed to orchestrate his inevitable death but they failed since they failed to even figure it out in the first place. Instead of preparing, they simply acted blind.

Now they were all wiped out, without any support or any chance of striking back. Taken out by the rejected son of the Duke who annihilated them before they even had a chance.

No, they had no chance in the first place. Or so thought the old man who simply understood that it was practically over.

Estefan stood still as he had no army and no support for his father. Yet he had already seized control, without the Duke's protection anyone could easily target Estefan but for some reason he simply seemed like he was unstoppable even without support.

They even believed that he had support hence why he was so confident but to see that he did all this knowing his father wanted him dead in this very City surprised the old man more.

"Don't think I'm weak because I don't have my father's backing." He warned. "I'm not alone."

Then Vetrigar saw them, those eyes. Dozens of glowing red eyes similar to those belonging to Estefan flickered into view, hovering in the shadows, surrounded by mist. He was baffled, "Demons?" He whispered while trembling.

"Now, tell me everything you know."

[To be Continued]