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When his sister Odessa was born, Mathiu Silverberg initially did not take much notice of the child. He had already reached that age where baby-talk held little appeal, and even her bright eyes and warm smile could not induce him to give up more than a little of the time he spent learning and studying to spend with her. He simply did not know what to do with a child who was too young to have even a semblance of an intelligent conversation with.
This went on for about four years, until Odessa had reached that age where she became infatuated with the word “why”, as all young children at some point do. It started off simply, with questions like, “Why won't brother play with me?”, “Why do I have to eat carrots?”, and, “Why is the sky blue?”
Odessa was an unusually bright child, however, and her curiosity never ceased. Long after she had exhausted all of the obvious questions, she still found others to ask and would not relent unless she had received an acceptable explanation.
One day, she even managed to sneak into the study, where Mathiu had retreated to earlier that afternoon for some quiet reading time.
“What are you doing?” her soft voice broke the silence.
“I'm studying.”
“Why?”
“Because Uncle Leon wants me to learn a lot about military strategy.”
“Why?”
“Well, I'm not quite sure, but he says that it's our family's destiny to be involved in the conflicts that shape our world. Wars, especially.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why is there war? Why do people fight each other?”
Mathiu looked up, surprised. He hadn't expected someone so young to be able to grasp the concept of 'war', but judging by the serious look on Odessa's face, she knew what she was talking about. Suddenly, she had become a lot more interesting in Mathiu's eyes.
He tried explaining to her what to him seemed like fairly obvious reasons: that some people wanted land, while others fought because they felt that there was something they must protect at all costs, and most of all, because people desired power.
Odessa did not look satisfied. “But why do they fight each other over that? I don't get it.”
Mathiu sighed and shooed her off, realizing that the concept of 'politics' was still beyond her. But her question remained with him long after Odessa had outgrown the "why" phase.
***
Shortly after the Succession War, Tinto had launched a surprise attack against newly-crowned Emperor Barbarossa's Scarlet Moon. Though the Six Great Generals and Leon Silverberg were already in pursuit with a counterattack, the Tinto Army had still managed to destroy several villages in the North. When Mathiu, already having his doubts, had refused Leon's invitation to ride out with them, the latter had sent his nephew to do a damage report of the affected area. Odessa, bored with city life, had elected to join her brother. Standing together on a nearby hilltop, the two surveyed the scene in front of them.
One village had been almost completely demolished. Smoke still hung in the air above where entire houses had been burned to the ground. Stooped figures moved silently through the rubble, searching for the missing, although by this time, there remained little hope that they were still alive.
Mathiu observed everything quietly. Though the scene was certainly horrific, it was not so different from what he had seen many times before. Odessa's face, however, was ashen gray and visibly stricken.
Her voice was thin and strained. “Why do people fight each other?”
He didn't—couldn't—answer.
***
Mathiu had almost given up on ever hearing from Odessa again after he had refused her request for aid concerning the newly-founded Liberation Army. At the time she had yelled and yelled, even angrily renouncing all ties between them.
So he was surprised when he received a letter from her several weeks later. Short and simple, it was nonetheless thought-provoking. She had written:
I once asked you why it is that people fight each other.I have finally found my answer. I want to fight for a world where there is no more fighting, no more war. No more innocent people ruthlessly murdered. I believe that the Liberation Army can get us closer to this goal.
I know I probably cannot persuade you, but please give it some thought.
Mathiu frowned and shook his head. It was no use. He had already given it so much thought before, to no avail. Odessa was still young and naïve. He was old, now, and jaded. He no longer believed in the proverbial 'war to end all wars'.
His thoughts were interrupted when one of his students walked up and tapped him on the arm.
“Master Mathiu? I don't understand today's lesson.”
“What don't you understand?”
“Just, this whole thing about war... Why do people fight each other?”
Mathiu looked away, sighed, and shook his head again. “I'll tell you another time.”