Chapter Text
“You devil,” the mother weeps with a dead child in her arms, “The goddess will judge you for this! You shall face retribution–”
She falls silent by the golden glare of Macht’s sword, blood spraying out and splattering against the wall behind her. Her misery unanswered and her tears undried, it all joins the pooling evidence underneath their feet until everything becomes the same red reflection of the moon.
Macht lands lightly on his feet not far away. “Is that really what I look like to these people?”
Glück takes a long drag of smoke before responding. “Your horns resemble devils of the old. These people were ex-nobility and terribly sheltered. Probably never met any of your kind before.”
The demon tilts his head in a way that resembles cunning strays from the streets. “I didn’t realize it was such a multipurpose word. Thank you, I learned something new today.”
Glück sighs and snuffs out his cigarette under his heels. He really shouldn’t have bothered. There’s enough blood on the stones that it would’ve extinguished by itself.
“Don’t tarry,” he says, the northern winds sending chills through his thick coat and into his bones. “There’s work to do.”
It will be a long, long night.
—
Broken weapons and severed limbs with the armour still attached litter the ground, increasing the length of time it takes for Glück to make his way through as he follows Macht’s path. The quiet surrounding is jarring in comparison to the amount of devastation.
Gluck’s serendipitous encounter was truly a gift, even if it meant losing all his first-class subordinates.
In a few more steps he finds his rival splayed on the floor, slaughtered before he could even open his mouth to negotiate. Everyone from the oldest servant to the youngest child, wiped out in one night. Something unimaginable before the acquisition of his most recent asset.
Macht rejoins him and together they move to secure what they came for. It is more convenient when there is no one left to get in their way.
Glück directs everything with an impassive eye for detail. Documents filled with secrets, land deeds, and trade routes for future uses, all are gathered carefully, checked for traps, and tucked away. Macht once again becomes indispensable for his services. Casting magic for storage would’ve cost a lesser mage most of their mana, but it seems such limitations did not apply to demonkind.
They exit the secret rooms back into the courtyard where the main resistance had occurred.
“Shall I help you dispose of the evidence?” Macht offers.
Glück takes one look at Macht’s unruffled appearance and says, “Go ahead and eat them.”
Macht’s smile is oh so bright underneath the all-seeing moon shielding nothing of their sins. “And they called me the devil. You are playing with people’s lives, not even giving them a proper burial.” He chuckles.
Gluck’s breath comes out as vapor in the air. “And you eat people. They are dead either way; what happens after they die is something they won’t care about.”
“What a crude method,” Macht says, but he gets on with it, agreeable as always. How convenient that even when the demon eats it leaves behind no traces. Not even a hair of Macht will remain after they depart; only the deep grooves of his sword strikes and the bloodstains are evidence of their presence.
When one enacts evil, to follow it through to the very end is the proper way to go.
-
Even if this partner-in-crime is the sharpest weapon in his arsenal, especially effective as a shadow assassin, limiting him in that single role is a waste of manpower. Useful people do not grow on trees, and since Macht's direct actions caused his current deficit in talents, in the time it takes his forces to recover, he will fill in the gaps. Glück moves him into the position of a right-hand man: Accessible and present.
Most recently he’s taken up a butler-role on his own initiative, which suits Glück fine.
Unobtrusively observing each other becomes the norm. There is much to learn about demons that were not mentioned in the history books.
It is a convenient happenstance that demons don’t need sleep; at least not in the capacity that Macht is currently operating at. He is an apex predator set upon a field of prey with no defenders: The outcome is undeniably one-sided. And with their physical form extending as mere human mimicry, they cannot be poisoned and cannot die through regular means. As masses of mana, even sustenance through eating humans are not compulsory, though Macht has plenty to eat as long as Glück has enemies. Those in particular seem to deliver themselves onto his doorstep every few weeks.
Glück chews around the end of his dying cigarette as he rereads the terms of the land renewal agreement. Read it a sixth time. A hundred gold as a down payment with a variable interest depending on the total yield. Quite the audacious display of daylight robbery.
He feels the headache building up behind his eyes before it even starts.
A rustle of Macht coat is the only sound he hears until a gloved hand blocks the scroll on his desk.
“Your meals are unbalanced and you should rest,” Macht says.
“What would you know about a balanced diet and resting,” Glück sighs, but he leans back nonetheless. “Is this impatience I hear?”
“Not at all,” Macht replies evenly, the pour of the tea at an angle that causes not a single ripple to fall over the rim. Text-book perfection of an excellent butler.
“It would trouble me if you fall apart from overwork.” He says as he sets the cup down in front of Glück and steps back to the side in one smooth motion.
Such caring words. He effortlessly toes the line between daring and respectful, humorous and uncompromising. Human mimicry at its finest.
Glück takes a sip. Then two. He downs two cups in quick succession and when he finally feels less parched, allows Macht to serve lunch.
Just as his back is out the door, Glück reminds him: “Keep by my side and obey my commands. In these murky waters of greed and malice, there’s plenty to be observed and learned.” He lightly taps one finger on the scroll. “This house in particular is very eager for an unofficial visit.”
Macht bows, one hand over where a human heart would be. “By your word, my lord.”
-
As smooth as a well-oiled machine, Macht returns through the open window in record time. He does not present anything, as the reason for his visit was to make a statement instead of retrieval.
“Anything unexpected?” Glück asks, hand unstopping as he signs off on the parchments requiring his approval. These days there are less people to threaten, less corrupt politicians to kill, which would be a good thing if it didn’t correspond to the exponential amount of paperwork arriving on Gluck’s desk.
“None.” With a flourish, the last bits of gore flake off Macht’s coat in specs of gold, once again as pristine as their first meeting. As if he didn’t just come out of a slaughterhouse. “Your next orders?”
“I’ve been waiting for you.” Glück points to the stack of papers teetering ominously on the chaise reserved for visitors. “Read through those proposals and mark the ones worth my time.”
If before the administration was weak and ineffective, and Weise felt like a dying city sitting on its laurels of a storied past, the new thriving merchant corridor and strong border patrol policies finally marked it as a revitalized Fortress City with more wealth, more influence, and more problems. Such increases in activity naturally leads to more governance, a careful eye to ensure no one takes advantage of loopholes still unaccounted for.
His son would be proud of how far the city has come.
Though credit must go where credit is due. Glück can easily admit he would not have done it without Macht. How his son would take to that, is quite obvious.
Said demon follows his instructions with ease in both the killing and grunt work. “What a surprise that I’ve been assigned to a desk. Done culling your foes already?”
Glück snorts. “That work is never done. Antisocial as you proclaim yourself, you still worked under the demon king and now have switched over to working with humans to pursue your own goals. Humans are the same, if not more fickle because there’s so many with grand ambitions. There will be a steady flow of challengers in the future.”
He rips a parchment in a sharp tear and feeds it to the flames. “Friends today, enemies tomorrow, all in the name of self interest. It's not easy to coexist with other humans, much less with demons. That too, is malice."
Malice is starting to sound the same as fickle, but Macht deems it irrelevant to point that out to the human who looks ready to pull another all-nighter. For a man who harbors ambitions as heavily as he disparages them, there is no fear of meeting an early death before reaching his goals.
He acknowledges Gluck’s words with a thoughtful hum as he settles down with the paperwork.
The thought of knocking Glück out is quickly discarded. Even if he can force him to rest today, the running of the city will still be there the next day. Macht takes a precursory glance at the ugly scrawls and frowns. Here lies coexistence for tonight.
-
That is how Gluck’s page boy finds them in the early mornings of the next day; bare stubs of the candle remaining and a third of the papers left.
“My lord!” The boy gasps, seeing Gluck’s gaunt face first between the account books and thicker filing records.
The boy is quick on his feet. He wastes no time bringing a quick breakfast and more ink, and it wasn’t until his second entrance into the room that he sees Macht, whose presence is diminished as he reviews a stack of papers of his own. It's rare to see the demon sitting instead of standing by the lord's side.
He stumbles, righting himself in time. “Sir Macht!” he hurriedly greets.
His eyes widen at the sight of the demon nonchalantly flipping through the papers. He glances at Gluck, who has not acknowledged him or looked up once.
Awkwardly, he clears his throat. “Lord Gluck, I-I think I was supposed to be taking the pile with Sir Macht to the Baron who’s advising you on policy later this afternoon…?”
The feudal lord waves him off. “Macht is looking things over - come back once he’s done and take the remaining pile to the Baron.”
“Sir Macht knows how to write!?”
Gutsy thing. That’s the reason this page boy lasted as long as he did. Glück didn’t need mindless followers, not if he needed to get some good sprouts to support Weise in the future. This boy had a backbone, even if his mouth moved faster than his brain.
Macht puts down the papers in his hand. “Who do you think has been writing the purchasing lists these days?” Sounding just the right amount of upset that nearly sends the boy into another tittering fright.
“Macht,” Glück ends it there.
“Apologies, my lord,” Macht says, “I suppose most people under your employment have not seen my sophisticated side.”
“Sorry, my lord, Sir Macht. I also spoke out of turn.” The page boy adds.
The room falls silent once more, as they each go about their business. It’s only until lunch when the page boy calms down and is unable to resist his own curiosity.
Seeing the neat writing and organized stacks of paper that even he hasn’t been able to decipher, the page boy can’t help but ask Macht as he takes the now-smaller bundle of papers originally intended for the Baron.
“Is magic and language a part of your instincts? Like how a beast knows how to use its claws, or the hunting tactics of wolf packs. Does your handwriting also come easily or did you have to practice?” Thinking of his own long nights bent over the table burning through precious candlelight, he can’t help but wrinkle his nose. It’s so convenient being a demon if it was the case!
“You see me a savage,” Macht leisurely rises to his feet, making the boy crane his neck up. “Language skills aside, I quite enjoy human inventions… like hot spring baths.”
“You use the baths too?”
“Do you not?” Macht quirking a brow.
The boy flushes red and stammers out an excuse before fleeing the room. Glück makes a mental note to have that boy retrained for basic manners, but nonetheless makes a comment to the remaining individual first.
“Do not harass my people, Macht.”
Macht rolls his shoulders and shakes his hair out as he meanders over to the window with a direct view of the portly Baron nearly being run over by the page boy. “Am I not considered one of yours? Clearly, he was asking for it.”
“Are you included in 'people'?” Glück huffs, returning to the account books.
He cannot see Macht, but hears the satisfied scoff. “I suppose not, my lord.”
-
A terrible seasonal harvest brings upon more drama than Macht has seen in all his years during the demon army combined. He slays the umpteenth spy sneaking around the city before finally suggesting, “I should spear them at the entrance and leave the bodies there to send a message.”
Glück does not agree: He must not tire of all the mice running about underfeet. Macht retreats, unable to do anything about human sensibilities.
A rumour soon spreads of Weise having a stockpile of gold. It agitates the citizens regardless of the truth’s authenticity.
“And here I thought transmuting them into gold would’ve been the cleaner way to handle things,” Macht sighs. “Should I find you some demon subordinates specializing in burying things?”
Glück stretches his arm high in the air, done with the day’s documents. “Don’t bother. All evil actions will come back with consequences at some point, it’s just a matter of when. One demon is enough for me.”
Macht folds his arms as he observes the other man. “Surely you can use this to your advantage. You humans value gold very much don’t you?”
“Only if we can use it,” Glück replies with a knowing look in his eyes. “Once you transmute humans into gold, you can’t simply mold all that gold into coins now, can you.”
“I can try.”
“But you won’t,” Glück states, wearing a languid smile that sends a dull spark of adrenaline running down Macht's arms.
How interesting.
Centuries of self control kicks in. Predator he may be, a savage he is not. Macht chuckles and moves to pour this insightful human a new cup of tea.
-
Glück builds a network in Weise that Macht is aware of but never bothered to learn more about. They are clearly not as efficient as him.
Only after he lives amongst them does he realize the resources it takes to train competent subordinates. Humans are so easy to kill yet difficult to train. Therein lies the problem.
He asks Glück. There's no difference to him between running through a magic-less villager or a battle hardened veteran: It took about the same amount of effort from him. So why go through all this effort?
Glück is silent for a moment. Rare is it for him to take an extra moment composing his thoughts, so Macht becomes all the more curious of the answer.
"Longevity, I suppose," Glück finally says.
For such a disappointingly short answer, Macht points out, "Your men would not outlive you by much."
"A human lifespan is indeed short," Glück agrees with ease. "Principles that build up a society are not. I am simply trying to find the right people to safeguard that." He walks to his bookshelf and pulls out a book with an insignia on the cover.
The Empire.
The only human establishment with any real success of continued prosperity. So this is what Glück aspires for Weise.
However, Macht doubts the Empire's existence is duplicable. That was where the Great Mage Flamme had once resided and begun humanity's climb into aquiring magic. Humans think of her as a legend but demons remember the truth.
Was it policy or talent that allowed the Empire to endure turmoil throughout the ages? The truth most likely fall in the middle.
Glück puts the book back after flipping through it mindlessly. "Finding a fitting successor is also my responsibility as a feudal lord. I'd like to leave the next bastard with more than just documents on a desk," he sighs.
"A foolish endeavor," Macht says, now disinterested. "At this junction you also exclude the fickleness of human nature that plagues you so. That's unlike you."
"I tire of it. It’s not pleasant at all," Glück replies, "That’s why you are much better company."
-
It would surely pain the other man to admit his new organization is incapable. But it is a truth that the enemy is rooted particularly deep this time. The old rumor does not disappear, and soon it becomes even more insidious, accusations now speak of the lord hiding a magic that allows users to create unlimited gold.
There are protests in the streets.
Finally, Glück cannot continue turning a blind eye.
The mansion servant who Macht catches gossiping stands in front of the lord, shaking and in tears. The stablehand and maid who were previously his rapt audience have been sent back to their rooms, awaiting their turn to be summoned.
“Someone was at the tavern, talking about the storehouse near the Eastern wall filled to the brim with golden statues, and they said the basement in the mansion also– ” the man falls on his knees with an ashen face, “Please, my lord, I know these were just lies to tarnish your reputation! It was a mistake! I never took any of it seriously! My curiosity got the better of me– ”
“Yet you still tried to break into the cellar.”
The servant shuts up, his jaws snapping shut with a clack.
With the window behind him, Glück casts an imposing shadow across the room. His hand lowers, wisps of ash falling from the lit cigarette. His eyes flicker and focus on the servant’s face. “You were my son’s childhood playmate, weren’t you?”
The servant nods. Macht can smell the fear rolling off him.
“He spoke highly of you.”
The servant straightens with a jolt, “I have never said anything to the outsiders, I promise on my life! I would never sell this house out. You have my word!”
Glück takes another inhale as he circles around his desk and approaches the kneeling servant with the expression of a tired but merciful man. “Of course, my boy.”
The servant’s body sags with relief.
Macht is moving before Glück finishes his signal.
His sword slides in between the ribcages easily. The servant’s eyes barely have time to widen before Macht’s blade is ripping out of him with a wet squelch.
Macht should’ve been standing in front of the servant. What would be the expression on his face in these last moments? Would it be confusion? Loathing? Despair? Humans always had a strong reaction to the moment nearing death.
But there is something else more worthy of his full attention.
With nothing supporting it, the servant’s body slumps down with a dull thud. Glück stares expressionlessly at the dead body and the blood pooling underneath it and onto his office floor, while Macht patiently awaits his next orders.
“This too is an evil act.” Glück takes one last inhale of his smoke. That shall not go unpunished, left unspoken.
“You seem unbothered,” Macht comments as he changes his sword back into a cloak.
Glück slowly exhales the smoke, “Time waits for no one,” he moves past the body, taking care to avoid the mess. “I cannot do right for this child - nor the others - I am in no position to take unnecessary risks. You can say this is my first time showing you what guilt feels like.”
“Yet you don’t sound very guilty about it,” Macht pushes. Guilt is still a nonsensical thing that is beyond his comprehension, but it feels like the right thing to say.
Glück finally turns to look at him, “I’ve called for the deaths of many more innocent than him. Might you need to find another human to learn about guilt, Macht?”
Curiosity temporarily sated, Macht shrugs, “Not at all, this is very interesting to me nonetheless. I shall be on my way to handle the other two.”
“Then stay and eat him first. In the future, start using this method of disposal.” Glück takes out a new pack of smoke as he exits the room, leaving one last sentence as an afterthought: “It makes me feel much better knowing you don’t play with your prey.”
“I am a pacifist,” Macht reminds him respectfully. “Despite how you’ve been using me, I’m quite adverse to conflict.”
“A monster who does not understand justice calling himself a pacifist and an irredeemable politician who cannot reach coexistence with his own kind without resorting to violence. What a pair we make,” Glück laughs as his coat disappears around the corner.
-
The public relations problem is eventually resolved, though Glück deals with it in his own roundabout, tiresome way. The granary is nearly depleted and the treasury emptied. Macht writes it off as something else he will never understand.
“People think less when their stomachs are full. And there are quite a few merchants owing favors to me, who wouldn’t mind some gold statues modeled after familiar faces,” Glück says with a smile full of falsehoods. It could’ve been a delightful insight, but now it’s soured by how easily he himself is being read like an open book: Glück's keen sense of when he contemplates over human sensibilities is mysterious indeed.
“Are congratulations in order for the peace in your lands?” Macht asks, moving away papers to make space on the table for lunch. Having to eat three meals a day for a healthy life seems like quite the flaw in human evolution - he would have to ask Solitär how she makes of that if they ever meet again.
“A temporary truce at most,” Glück says. As an afterthought, he also starts to explain the fraught history of human infighting, a most curious topic to share with a demon currently seeking coexistence. Yet it always goes back to hope. An idea of a world that passed on from son-to-father. Another mystery beyond Macht’s grasp.
Glück is about to say more but stops. His eyebrows rise upon seeing the thick cut of steak on his plate when Macht takes off the dome cover.
“Where in our budget did we put this?” he asks in an unnatural voice.
“It’s not,” Macht replies charmingly, “Though it would amuse me greatly for you to eat this. If you waste away before I have my answers, I would be most upset.”
Glück sighs and picks up the cutlery without resistance. “Quite the threatening words you use to force my hand.”
Macht dips his head in a shallow bow. “I hunted it myself. Do enjoy.”