"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Roy. It's common knowledge that the Melans never interfere in political struggles," Siegfried said calmly, spreading his hands. "Like I said, I'm just here for a chat."
Roy's tense expression softened slightly. He lifted his lifeless eyes, asking with some apprehension, "Sir Melan, what do you wish to discuss? As you can see, I'm nothing but a defeated soldier…"
Though he spoke these words, Roy remained hyper-vigilant, acutely aware of his surroundings. He'd heard many rumors about the Melan family and was terrified of inadvertently revealing any information.
"Nothing major. Hmm… let's start with an introduction. Tell me, what kind of person do you consider yourself to be?"
Roy froze, gazing blankly at the smiling black-haired man across from him, completely unable to gauge his intentions. However, pressured by the situation, he answered seriously,
"My name is Roy. I am the current head of the Barrett family, a viscount of the kingdom, and a knight of the realm, loyal to His Highness Prince Roderick. My loyalty is as unbreakable as my shield."
These were the same words he'd spoken to the young Roderick during his knighting ceremony.
However, Roy heard a scoff.
"Oh, loyalty?"
Siegfried's expression was a mixture of amusement and mockery, his brow etched with disdain.
Roy's eyes reddened. Forgetting his fear, he roared angrily, "A knight may be killed, but not dishonored! Sir Melan, even you cannot question my loyalty!"
(He's taken the bait… Let's see if the effect is as terrifying as I anticipate.)
Siegfried took a deep breath. The unfolding events would determine how he would deal with this ability called [Deceptive Talk]in the future.
"You just said you're loyal?"
"Is there a problem?!"
Siegfried chuckled, standing up and beginning to pace around Roy's chair.
"No, not really. I just think that word, applied to you lot, is… rather nauseating."
"What did you say?!"
Roy never expected this Melan to insult him so. As a knight, he could endure any torture, but this kind of slander was unbearable.
"Retract your words! Retract what you just said! You are a Melan! A hero! How dare you defile our loyalty!!"
"Oh, is it not? As a knight of the kingdom, you don't serve the country, the people, or even the Princess, the first heir. You assisted Roderick in staging a coup, leading to widespread war and suffering. Is that loyalty?"
"No! I merely…"
"As a son, your father, the Baron, entrusted you to serve the future king before his death. Yet you disregarded his wishes, paying lip service while secretly opposing him. Is that loyalty?"
"As an elder, you relentlessly pursued a sixteen-year-old girl across the land. What kind of loyalty is that?"
"No! No! Shut up! Shut up!"
"As an inner courtier, you knew that the Second Prince and the Princess were siblings, yet you didn't try to stop them. Instead, you poured fuel on the fire, joining in their fratricidal conflict. Is that your loyalty?"
"No… no…"
His protests grew weaker, tears streaming down Roy's face. He knew these truths, but what could a mere Great Knight do?
"Roy, you're a pig, burying your head in the trough, gobbling up the feed your master provides, blindfolded, deceiving yourself with the excuse of loyalty. Have you ever used your brain to think in your thirty-plus years? Is this world so insane that wearing knight's armor allows you to call yourself a loyal subject?"
"Roy, that's not loyalty. That's stupidity."
"..."
"..."
Silence hung heavy in the dilapidated wooden hut, suffocatingly quiet. Then, a choked sob erupted, slowly turning into weeping, then into loud, heart-wrenching cries.
"I know! I know! I know all this! But what could I do? I'm just a Great Knight, just a lowly viscount. I can't even enter the palace. What could I do? What could I do?! What do you want me to do?!"
Roy wept uncontrollably, banging his head against the chair back until his skull was bleeding.
The moment had arrived.
Siegfried's eyes turned cold. He slowly approached Roy, bending down, whispering in his ear like a devil,
[It's simple. For the people, surrender everything to the true master of this country, Krinhild!]
Deceptive Talk Additional Effect: After the ninth true statement, the credibility of the next lie increases by 100%!
Like a bomb dropped into boiling water, Roy's already turbulent thoughts exploded.
"Right… right… right! You're right, I'm a knight! A knight! I must be loyal… I must offer my loyalty! I surrender… I… I surrender! Your Highness! Your Highness! Princess Krinhild, I offer you everything! Your Highness! Please accept me! Your Highness! Your Highness!"
Roy, chair and all, toppled over, scrambling towards the door like a bloodthirsty beast. The pain and confusion on his face had completely vanished, replaced by a frenzied fanaticism.
Siegfried, without a word, stepped over Roy and left the hut.
[Deceptive Talk], the terror of this ability was exactly as he'd anticipated.
From the very first day he obtained this ability, Siegfried understood its inherently malicious nature. He had been avoiding opening this Pandora's Box. Today was merely a small experiment, a trial run.
The facts proved it had mind-control capabilities.
Lies, at their core, alter perception and distort will. Some scoundrels use lies to make women believe they're worthy of lifelong commitment. Some unscrupulous merchants use lies to convince customers that their goods are worth buying. Some cults use lies to manipulate their followers' minds, making them sacrifice everything for their so-called faith.
Even more egregious, the leader of Nazi Germany once wove a colossal lie, inciting his people to go to war, resulting in the most horrific war in human history.
From the very first day he obtained this ability, Siegfried understood its inherently malicious nature.
If one were to define good and evil by their goals, Siegfried could be considered a good person. But if defined by their methods, he was undoubtedly thoroughly evil.
He had always been self-aware; his blood had turned cold at the age of sixteen. A bone-chilling coldness filled the young man's eyes. Facing the morning sun, he uttered his emotionless words.
"But this world is never divided into good and evil by purpose or means. The only criterion for judging good and evil is success. Whether it's brainwashing or murder, as long as you win in the end, it's enough."