The Sin of Humanity

In the city streets,

Mihon and Youray wandered through the bustling crowd of people and children. The atmosphere pulsed with life—bursts of joy colored the air, and laughter echoed all around. Children ran back and forth, merchants shouted at the top of their lungs, and the aroma of food wafted from every corner.

Suddenly, Mihon spoke in a low voice, his gaze fixed on the old buildings:

— "We need to find a place to spend the night and rest from the fatigue of travel... There's still time before we move."

Youray replied, scanning the faces despite his closed eyes:

— "It seems there are many strong individuals in this place... Our mission won't be easy at all."

Mihon smiled and said:

— "If there were something in this world that came easily, it wouldn't have ended up in such a miserable state."

Youray said with curiosity:

— "I feel like something exciting is going to happen at this festival..."

Mihon replied confidently:

— "All we have to do is take that thing… and everything will go as it should."

Youray laughed and said sarcastically:

— "The problem is... how are we going to take it?"

Mihon laughed in return and answered:

— "Don't worry… everything will be just fine."

In the large plaza, a fountain stood at its center, shaped like a deer with water flowing from its interwoven antlers. Each antler poured out a different color, forming a breathtaking watery canvas. Atop the deer sat a black bird, releasing dark, night-colored water from its beak, adding even more grandeur and awe to the fountain.

Nearby, a crowd had gathered, watching a heated argument that quickly escalated into a sword fight between two men. Mihon and Youray approached the scene, and suddenly, a sharp whistle rang out, halting the fight immediately.

Everyone turned to see two men in dark blue uniforms approaching with firm steps.

One of the onlookers whispered: — "It's them... the Kingdom's Knights!"

— "It's over for them. Fighting is forbidden during the festival... Anyone who breaks the rules risks death."

The two men panicked, and one of them began to step back. Suddenly, a voice echoed through the place:

— "Where do you think you're going?"

The voice belonged to someone who emerged from the crowd. It was Amis.

The man stammered:

— "He started it... He bumped into me and refused to apologize!"

Amis replied with deadly coldness:

— "I don't care who started it. As long as you started a fight at a time when fighting is forbidden, you have placed yourself above the kingdom's laws... And whoever places themselves above the kingdom's laws, it is as if they place themselves above the kingdom itself."

The man's face went pale, and he tried to speak, but he didn't finish...

Suddenly, his head flew off in front of everyone. No one understood how it happened, but what they saw was a long twisted scythe in Amis's hand. The scythe had been behind his back from the beginning, but many people couldn't see it.

Someone whispered in terror:

— "It is... the Reaper of Souls... one of the Kingdom's knights... his name is Amis!"

Another replied with surprise:

— "The Reaper of Souls? I have never heard of him before."

The third answered:

— "Two years ago, a terrible incident happened... Amis entered alone into a battle against one hundred bandits in the northern mountains. He fought them alone after he ordered his comrades to complete the mission. When they returned, they found him unconscious among the torn corpses, blood covering him, and his scythe beside him. Since then, this title was given to him."

As for the second man, he knelt crying out of extreme fear, and began mumbling incomprehensible words.

Amis said to him sternly:

— "When you started the fight, did you not think about this moment? If we let such things happen, the kingdom will turn into chaos, and everyone will do whatever their head tells them."

Suddenly, the man felt a sharp coldness in his chest, descending like a soft death. He looked at his chest and found a scythe plunged into his heart...

Blood burst from his mouth, and he fell dead.

Silence prevailed at first, then whispers and commotion spread. One of them said:

— "Who would have thought that a verbal quarrel would end this way?"

---

At the edge of the arena, some men stood silently watching. Their features were hidden, and their clothes were dark. Among them, a person began to laugh while saying mysterious words that could not be understood.

In another corner, the "Raiven" group was watching the scene from afar.

Briley said:

— "Why don't we recruit him to join us?"

Jack replied:

— "I don't think he would want to... he is a knight of the kingdom, how could he join us?"

Jack said again:

— "Maybe Raiven can convince him... a talent like him should not be wasted in such a small kingdom... his presence with us would help us a lot."

While the people were busy, Mihon looked at Youray and said:

— "Let us go find a place to stay, the sun is about to set."

---

And in a house near the center of the arena, behind a window with a curtain, two men stood talking, their features unclear.

One of them said:

— "So, this is the boy we came for."

The other replied:

— "Yes... recruiting him will be a great step in your future project. He has tremendous potential, despite his young age."

The first said in a calm voice:

— "I think you are right. A cold-blooded person, decisive... this is what I need. We must refine him well, but first, we have to convince the king. The problem is, I do not think we are the only ones who came for him... His reputation has spread a lot in the past three years. The king's abandoning him will be almost impossible."

— "But everyone has their own way... and I have my way to take this diamond. If we do not take him, then our presence here is meaningless."

The other man laughed and said:

— "I knew your coming to the festival was just a pretext... you came only for him." Then he continued: "Tomorrow I will depart to the south... and I hope when I return, I find you have achieved what you came for."