Parallel Memory

Chapter 713: The War After the War

The gathering in the plaza did not end with a decision.

It ended with exhaustion.

For hours, the people argued.

Some demanded that the Devil Kingdom be destroyed while it was still weak.

Others believed that the war had already taken enough lives.

Some shouted that Lilith could not be trusted.

Others argued that refusing her offer would only guarantee another war in the future.

The authorities eventually had no choice but to end the gathering.

There was no vote.

No agreement.

No official declaration.

The people simply went home carrying their own opinions.

Some left with anger burning in their eyes.

Others left with hope.

Many left confused.

The Human Domain had celebrated victory as one nation.

But after the ceremony ended, it became clear that victory had not united them.

It had divided them.

And the division only grew deeper over the following days.

The Holy Church

The Holy Church had never been this tense.

The central chamber was usually a place of quiet prayer.

White pillars rose toward the ceiling.

Golden symbols decorated the walls.

Soft light entered through the stained-glass windows, illuminating the statues of the ancient saints.

But that day, the chamber was filled with voices.

"The treaty must be rejected."

A senior bishop slammed his hand against the table.

Several others nodded in agreement.

"We cannot allow devils to establish a permanent presence in the Human Domain."

"They will use the treaty to infiltrate our cities."

"They will deceive our people."

"That is their nature."

The chamber became louder.

At the head of the table sat the highest representatives of the Church.

They listened in silence.

The official proposal from Lilith rested on the table before them.

The document itself was simple.

A peace agreement.

Recognition of Lilith as the rightful ruler of the Devil Kingdom.

A permanent passage between the two territories.

Diplomatic relations.

The exchange of information.

The promise that neither side would launch an attack without provocation.

On the surface, it was reasonable.

That was precisely why the Church was worried.

A treaty with the devils would change everything.

For centuries, the Church had stood as one of the greatest powers in the Human Domain.

Their influence was not only built on faith.

It was built on necessity.

Humans needed them.

When the devils attacked, the Church’s holy magic became one of humanity’s greatest advantages.

Their priests were trained to fight devils.

Their holy barriers protected cities.

Their healing magic kept soldiers alive.

And the Church had always held one message above all others.

The devils were the enemy.

The devils were corrupt.

The devils could not be trusted.

The devils would eventually betray humanity.

But if peace was established...

What would happen to that message?

A younger bishop stood.

"Even if Lilith is sincere, she cannot control every devil."

Several heads turned toward him.

He continued.

"She may wish for peace. But what of the others? What of the factions that supported Aamon? What of the devils who hate humanity?"

"Exactly," another bishop replied. "The treaty is meaningless."

The first bishop nodded.

"Peace between humans and devils is impossible. Their nature is fundamentally different."

A silence fell.

Then an older priest spoke.

"The devils are creatures born from negative energy."

His voice was quiet.

But everyone listened.

"Fear. Hatred. Anger. Deception. These are not simply behaviors. They are part of their nature."

A bishop across the table nodded.

"How can humans coexist with creatures whose very existence is built upon negative emotions?"

Another answered immediately.

"They cannot."

The room grew quieter.

This was the argument they wanted.

Not revenge.

Not politics.

Not power.

Something deeper.

Something that could be presented to the public as a moral truth.

The devils were different.

The devils were dangerous.

The devils could not change.

That belief had existed for centuries.

And now Lilith’s proposal threatened to challenge it.

One of the bishops leaned forward.

"Even if this Lilith truly desires peace, what happens when she dies?"

Nobody answered.

He continued.

"Her successor may not share her ideals."

"Or perhaps the next ruler will use the treaty to enter our territory."

"Perhaps they will gather information."

"Perhaps they will weaken our defenses."

"Perhaps they will wait."

The room filled with murmurs.

Every possibility was dangerous.

At the center of the table, one of the senior members finally spoke.

"We cannot allow the treaty to pass."

Several people immediately agreed.

"We must convince the Authority."

"And the War Council."

"They will listen to reason."

The oldest bishop in the room shook his head.

"No."

Everyone turned toward him.

"Reason will not be enough."

His eyes moved toward the treaty.

"The people are tired. Many of them want peace."

He paused.

"And the Authority has its own reasons for supporting this proposal."

The others fell silent.

The old bishop’s expression hardened.

"Then we must remind the people what the devils have done."

The Authority

At almost the same time, a private meeting was being held in the administrative district.

Unlike the Holy Church, the representatives of the Authority did not gather in a sacred hall.

They met inside a large council chamber.

There were no statues.

No religious symbols.

Only maps.

Documents.

Reports.

And a massive table at the center of the room.

The map of the Human Domain covered most of it.

The border with the Devil Kingdom was marked in red.

Several officials sat around the table.

The discussion was less emotional than the one in the Church.

But the stakes were no less serious.

"The treaty would give us access to the Devil Kingdom."

One official pointed at the map.

"Permanent access."

Another nodded.

"And a diplomatic presence."

"We could establish observers."

"Trade routes."

"Information networks."

"Military agreements."

The words were spoken calmly.

Professionally.

But everyone understood what they meant.

The treaty could give the Authority something it had never possessed before.

A reason to take control of the entire process.

For centuries, the Human Domain had been divided between powerful guilds, noble families, the Church, independent armies, and regional authorities.

The Authority had influence.

But not complete control.

The Devil War had changed that.

The military had been forced to cooperate.

The guilds had been forced to follow centralized commands.

The Church had been forced to coordinate with the War Council.

And now the war was over.

The Authority had an opportunity.

If the treaty passed, they could become the central power responsible for maintaining peace.

They could control the portal.

They could regulate movement between the two territories.

They could appoint ambassadors.

They could oversee trade.

They could decide who was allowed to enter the Devil Kingdom.

They could decide which devil representatives were allowed into the Human Domain.

It was not said directly.

It did not need to be.

Everyone around the table understood.

One official leaned back.

"The Church will oppose the treaty."

"Of course."

"They will argue that devils cannot be trusted."

"That argument will appeal to the people."

"Then we must appeal to something else."

The room became silent.

"What?"

The official looked toward the map.

"Security."

That word carried weight.

"If the treaty is rejected, the war may continue."

Nobody argued.

"The Devil Kingdom is weakened, but not destroyed. If we launch another campaign, we may win. But the cost will be enormous."

He moved his finger along the border.

"And if we fail?"

The room remained silent.

"The treaty gives us something better."

He looked around the table.

"Time."

That was the word the Authority understood best.

Time to rebuild.

Time to strengthen the military.

Time to understand the Devil Kingdom.

Time to establish influence.

Time to make sure that if another war happened, humanity would be prepared.

The official leaned back.

"If Lilith truly wants peace, we gain an ally."

"And if she betrays us?"

"Then we will be in a stronger position than we are now."

No one objected.

The Authority did not trust the devils.

But they did not need to.

They only needed to understand them.

And for the first time, the treaty gave them an opportunity to do exactly that.

The War Council

The War Council stood between the two powers.

That was what made the situation complicated.

The Church wanted the treaty rejected.

The Authority wanted it accepted.

The War Council was divided.

Some commanders wanted revenge.

Others wanted peace.

Many were simply exhausted.

The war had taken a tremendous toll.

Every senior commander had lost people under their command.

Some had lost friends.

Some had lost family.

No one in the War Council was untouched by the conflict.

Commander Rurik stood near the window during one of the private discussions.

His arms were crossed.

"The Church wants another war."

A commander across the room scoffed.

"They want the devils destroyed."

"Is that different?"

"Perhaps not."

Rurik looked toward the map.

The Devil Kingdom.

The Human Domain.

Two territories separated by years of bloodshed.

"Can we destroy them?" someone asked.

Nobody answered immediately.

Finally, another commander spoke.

"Probably."

The room turned toward him.

He continued.

"But at what cost?"

That question had become impossible to avoid.

Humanity had survived the last war.

Barely.

The elite vanguards had suffered heavy losses.

The army had been devastated.

The arena had been destroyed.

Thousands had died.

The Devil King was dead.

But the Devil Kingdom still existed.

And the surviving devils were not helpless.

If humanity attacked now, it might win.

But it might also lose another generation of soldiers.

The commander shook his head.

"I have no desire to send more young soldiers into that hell."

A different voice answered.

"And if we don’t?"

The room became silent.

"What happens when they recover?"

Nobody had an answer.

The same question had been repeated for days.

Peace could lead to another war.

War could prevent another war.

Or create one that was even worse.

There was no safe choice.

The Human Domain Divides

Within a week, the debate spread beyond the highest authorities.

Newspapers published articles.

Guild leaders made statements.

Nobles held private meetings.

The Church began preaching caution.

The Authority began emphasizing the advantages of diplomacy.

The War Council released no official position.

That silence only made the situation worse.

People began choosing sides.

Some called themselves the Peace Faction.

Others openly demanded the destruction of the Devil Kingdom.

The arguments appeared everywhere.

In taverns.

In guild halls.

In marketplaces.

In military barracks.

At family dinner tables.

"How can you trust them?"

"How can you continue killing them?"

"They murdered our people!"

"Our people murdered theirs!"

"They are devils!"

"They are still living beings!"

"They will betray us!"

"Then let them prove they won’t!"

Every argument created another argument.

The victory celebration had ended.

The medals had been awarded.

The heroes had returned.

But the war had not truly left humanity.

It had simply changed its shape.

The battlefield had become the council chamber.

The sword had become the document.

The enemy was no longer standing across from them.

Now the enemy was doubt.

Fear.

Hatred.

Ambition.

And no one knew which of those would win.

Far from the arguments, Zero continued working quietly.

He had no idea how quickly the Human Domain was beginning to divide.

He had no interest in politics.

No interest in the Church.

No interest in the Authority.

He was more interested in finding out what had happened to Tech Genesis while he had been gone.

But even Zero would eventually discover that peace was not something that could simply be signed onto a piece of paper.

And the first person who would be forced to confront that truth would not be a politician.

Not a bishop.

Not a commander.

It would be ....