"Of course. Fairy dust is so versatile. Or is it because you're a Fairy Queen, Sasha?" asked Élodie. She was sitting in the backseat with one leg crossed over the other, showing off a new black bracelet on her left wrist.
The fairy she addressed was resting on her head, smiling as she played with a handful of fairy dust, making it sparkle.
"It's really just me being creative. The dust is a byproduct of our bodies and aether, so why not expand its uses? I never thought my idea would work. I never expected it could capture the scent of one of the criminals!" Sasha's nose twitched; she was completely proud of her feat.
"There was enough for the police dogs to find their hideout. Luckily, we asked the officers not to arrest them. They're Resonant! Don't they know that any capable Resonant can easily get money? Why steal?" wondered Francisca, who couldn't understand why someone capable would waste so much time and effort on a task with little return.
In Shattercrown, it would be impossible to sell those jewels. In other countries? If they aren't arrested for doing so and someone actually buys them, their value will decrease because of their origin.
Furthermore, these thieves will only increase security at similar sites with valuable items. They would also have to compete with other thieves who would undoubtedly imitate them to make quick money. This would muddy the waters, causing them all to earn less than expected.
"Who knows? Maybe they're one of those legendary thieves. You know, like the Warriors in Shattercrown or the Knights in the Iron Continent countries," suggested Élodie with a sparkle of interest in her blue eyes.
"Oh, like the samurai friend of Séraphine's that we met the other day? Someone from somewhere else came here to commit misdeeds," added Sasha, making the blonde clap her hands.
"Yes, like Nanami! Maybe the purpose isn't to steal the jewels themselves but to make a statement or even provoke someone.
I can already imagine it: two sides facing off in a series of elaborate thefts to prove their worth to a third party who must choose a victor." The warrior spoke of the scenario she was imagining with great excitement, causing Séraphine to turn and look at her.
"Sometimes things are much simpler and more boring. Do you remember that case where we helped a woman find out if someone was breaking into her house to eat her food? Do you remember all the things you imagined? Now, tell me how that case turned out," the witch asked with narrowed eyes and an evil smile, causing Élodie to lower her head with a slight blush of embarrassment.
"That woman is a sleepwalker. She was the one wreaking havoc in her kitchen every night. But the truth is, it would have been better if a spy had found that stealing food from the client was the best way to survive," the blonde whispered in response, unconvinced by the boring outcome of that particular assignment.
"When there are multiple explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest is usually the most accurate. Although funny, your ideas are complicated, and sometimes reality is boring.
Just by looking at the dark circles under her eyes, I could tell she wasn't sleeping properly. The first thing I thought was that she was sleepwalking, and it turned out to be true," Séraphine said, contradicting what Élodie had said. This caused her to blush, puff out her cheeks, and pout as she crossed her arms.
"Real life is boring! Couldn't it be like those stories where something interesting always happens? Where something interesting always happens, event after event," commented the police officer.
The witch clicked her tongue loudly, showing her displeasure at those words.
"You're right that life is boring, but what if it were like a story? There would be no rest or peace! Whenever you wanted to take a break, something would happen to put you on edge.
It would be horrible to live in a book, play, or movie! Many things happen in those works to make an impact on the viewer. You can't just be happy. What if a viewer doesn't like it when the characters are just calm?
You could lose everything you love just to entertain that being," said Séraphine in a deep, dark tone of voice. She looked subtly at the car ceiling. Although her eyes did not shine as usual, there was coldness in them.
Although she thought that what Élodie said was silly, she couldn't help but relate it to what she currently knew. The real world is not a play, but there are spectators.
There were spiritual beings whose power was so immense that it was better not to mention their names in real life. There were also entities from that same world who occasionally acted on this plane, such as the Inferos.
How about we go deeper? Those strange creatures with terrifying eyes that watch everything from behind the veil, preventing normal people from perceiving them.
She herself had spectators. The most direct example was Musu, who had made it clear that she was always watching her closely, no matter the circumstances.
Furthermore, if Séraphine took the cat's words seriously, then even her teacher, Lady Osmond, was watching her. It seems that a certain unmentionable entity from the spiritual world has recently been added to those paying attention to her life.
'I just hope they don't make my life more eventful just because they want to see more interesting things,' Séraphine thought, turning her attention back to the conversation in the car. After she spoke, the conversation died down a bit before changing course.
"We can't keep one of those jewels, Francisca!" exclaimed Élodie, causing the redhead to roll her eyes dramatically.
"They won't notice! We can say it was already sold or something. Aren't you interested?" the alchemist asked in a low voice, as if she were a creature of the night tempting someone.
"It's illegal. Besides, we can claim the reward, which is enough for me." The police officer stood firm on this point, causing Francisca to turn around and glance at her before focusing on the road again.
"An incorruptible officer? Well, not everyone can be fun. Séraphine, if you could take one of those jewels with no consequences, it would be yours. No one would know or notice its absence. Even if they did, they would point the finger at someone else.
Would you do it?" the redhead asked, causing Séraphine to hesitate before nodding.
"If there are no consequences, why not?" That opens up another debate, though: Would people commit immoral and unethical acts just because there are no legal consequences? Or would their conscience limit their actions?" It seemed that the witch was in the mood to debate profound issues, so she steered the conversation down another rabbit hole.
"Well, that would depend on personal experience. I know almost everyone would do it if there were no consequences, like eating without paying. Hell, I would!" said Élodie with a small smile, but her expression soon turned serious.
"But when it comes to serious things like killing, harassing, or abusing another being, I don't think everyone would do that. We are social beings who inevitably tend toward stability in our environment.
Why would anyone want to kill if there were no consequences for their actions? Yes, without a doubt! Along with other harmful and downright aberrant things. But it wouldn't be the majority of the population; it would be just a small number, but a loud one because of how scandalous they are." Her words were largely based on her experience in the military and her relatively short time as a police officer.
In the army, every soldier has the right to kill if given the order. Some choose to do so out of obligation but actively seek not to comply unless their lives are at risk.
Others accept it as their duty. They don't care or get excited; if anything, they find amusement in putting their lives at risk, as she did. But some did love killing, chaos, and destruction.
Even when they were her colleagues and were just normal people, not Resonants, she felt a deep fear toward them. They were few and far between, but they caused rumors in the outside world, giving the army a reputation as 'cruel killers.'
Interestingly, this phenomenon was not unique to her country but occurred all over the world. However, she often saw fear, disgust, and repudiation on people's faces when she said she was an army veteran.
"Can't you stop talking about such complicated topics?' My head hurts!" Sasha complained as she flew toward Séraphine's hat. She wanted to use its softness to relax and calm the headache caused by the girls' words.
"I understand your points. As long as no one is harmed, either directly or indirectly, and everything is lawful and without consequence, I suppose some things can be done while others cannot. Is that right?" asked Francisca. Élodie and Séraphine looked at each other for a few seconds before nodding.
"Something like that. You have to draw lines, even if they are very fine and low. A person without ethical or moral limits... how is that any different from an unconscious monster?" the witch replied, using her own existence as an example.
Her moral bar and ethics were slightly lower and more flexible than those of others, but there were limits she would not cross for any reason. Would she take a stolen jewel for herself if there were no consequences? She would!
Kill a person just for the sake of killing them? Never! She only killed when she had permission from the Tower to act in certain cases, such as against dangerous criminals, sectarians, cultists, and corrupt beings who posed a threat to Shattercrown society.
In that sense, she was a pretty decent person. As for taking things without permission, even though she was greedy for money, she wouldn't steal from the needy. She even made some donations herself, though it hurt her every time she parted with her money.
"I agree with Séraphine. But is there anyone in the world without moral and ethical limits? I'm not referring to those who have been led to such depths because they were brainwashed or because their psyche was broken.
Rather, I'm referring to someone who was born that way. I'm not counting Rubin. He was a spiritual creature. I'm referring to this plane. "Can someone truly evil be born?" asked Élodie, who was interested in this topic.
"If such a person exists... I hope they are not a Resonant." Even cultists have something they value; sectarians have doctrines. Is a person evil from birth? How terrible it would be if they possessed superior power!" Francisca changed the subject, causing the vehicle to sink into a deep, reflective silence.
The four women tried to imagine such a being. Was someone like that in this world at the same time as them? They hoped they would never meet one! However, life sometimes resembled a play, giving the actors problems to make the show more interesting.
𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝𑄝
How is something defined as evil? Are the negative consequences that something or someone has on others or the environment what defines it? Or was it the motive behind certain actions and events? Is evil even real?
Why don't we consider it evil when a predator devours its prey in front of its offspring? Why isn't it considered evil when a meteorite falls on a village by chance? Was winter evil for freezing to death those who had no shelter?
The concepts of good, evil, and neutrality were devised by intelligent creatures. In nature, there is nothing truly evil. Animals act on instinct, and simple gravity is not to blame for the planet occasionally attracting a space rock.
Even the glowing green rock that destroyed creatures' bodies with its invisible poison was not evil per se; it was only categorized as such because of its effects on conscious beings who could classify it based on its adverse effects on living entities.
Now that evil has been classified, is there anyone so evil that the concept falls short? Unfortunately, the world is quite large, and some extraordinary people, for better or worse, are born into it.
A woman knocked on the door of an establishment whose sign indicated that it was a funeral home. She had her head bowed and her battered hat hid her face, but her unkempt clothing, disheveled black hair, and trembling body led anyone to believe that she was a homeless woman seeking alms.
The door opened to reveal an elderly man with white hair, glasses, and a black suit that was slightly too tight around his belly. He had a calm expression, knowing that most of those who knocked on his door were experiencing grief over the death of a family member.
However, his face stiffened when he saw her: her eyes were completely black, with no white visible, as if her pupils had swallowed everything else.
Her somewhat tanned skin was covered with poorly stitched scars and keloid scars, which gave her face a creepy appearance. The worst part? Her smile, full of pointed teeth and cracked, bloodstained lips.
"Hehe... You took too long to open the door. Do you want to make the dead wait longer to receive their well-deserved rest?" She spoke in a hoarse voice before pushing the old man out of her way.
"Hey, don't be rude! I know losing someone close can make us act discourteously, but..." The man couldn't finish, though, when a thin sheet of metal slid across his throat, slitting it open and letting the blood flow like a fountain.
Unable to do anything but cover the wound, the old man collapsed to the floor. Everything blurred in his field of vision. The last thing he heard was the door to his shop slamming shut, preventing anyone outside from discovering what had happened by simply turning their head.
"Blah, blah, blah! They always want to lecture me! But, hey, at least this fly has stopped buzzing. Is there anything interesting to do here besides playing dolls with corpses?" The woman muttered this, twirling the pristine dagger in her hand. Then, her ears pricked up as she listened for footsteps.
"Dad, has a new customer arrived?" asked a young man approaching from a nearby hallway. The scarred woman smiled, which hurt her lips and stained them with blood again.
"Oh, fresh meat~," she sang before walking toward the man and appearing in front of him.
"Oh, sorry for my overreaction," explained the young man, who jumped back in surprise at the woman's unusual appearance.
"Don't worry. I'm used to it. I came to arrange a funeral," the woman replied casually. The man's eyes lit up. He moved closer to her, put his hand on her shoulder, and tried to guide her to the office.
"Good choice! Our funeral home has been in business for 50 years and was started by my father. If it's not too much trouble, could you tell me whose funeral you're planning?" the young man asked, making the scarred woman smile even more.
"Oh, it's for an elderly man with a long-standing business. Would you like to participate?" she asked, making the man nod.
"Of course! My father has taught me quite a bit about the business, and..." He couldn't continue, though, when a dagger pierced his heart.
"Then why don't you share a coffin?" the woman whispered as he was consumed by death's embrace.
"Jackie, Jackie, Jackie. How long has it been since you last killed? I've been holding out for so long that I almost forgot how it felt," she whispered, pulling the dagger out of his body and shaking it, spilling blood against a wall.
"It's time to start hunting again~ She won't mind, will she?~" Jackie began humming a song as she walked toward the exit of the establishment.
She wanted to spill more blood just for the pleasure of it. Once again, an utterly evil person had decided to terrorize beings who could not conceive of such an existence.