155 Concerned parents

Oblivious to what was happening inside the huge manor, a little girl was resting on the lap of a young woman, that was slowly caressing her hair. It was probably the last day for the two sisters to be together before a very long time, however, none of them truly wished to do anything. Therefore, they just stayed like that, on a bench right next to the entrance.

"Is it true? Did she escaped?"Pulling the hair of Istuienn behind her ears, Muirnë knew what she will say will not be taken with joy. Funny thing that in the entire kingdom, the two people that had the closest interactions with that demon in human form were the two of them. One had been scared senseless by it, after seeing death smiling at her and then watching dozens of her seniors being crushed by that undead knight. The other had turned into something no longer human, felt so much pain that she had become numb to it and her heart had grown colder.

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"Yes, a part of her is still trapped and her face only showed a peaceful and calm smile. Like she knew what was happening and what the future had in stock for her. While the darkness that had taken the form of a completely black child is somewhere else, probably in Archet. It is still not likely that she will come back before a few months, at least."

Instead of shuddering and being scared even more by the cold words of her sister, Istuienn was instead greatly recomforted. When she had asked her father and then her brother, both had clumsily avoided the question, or even straight out lied that she had been trapped. Only Muirnë had answered her honestly, calming her wild imagination. In the absence of reliable information, the apprentice had nightmares about a dark demon hunting her in her sleep.

"Thank you." Not receiving an answer for that, the soft caress only kept continuing, making her feel even safer. Suddenly, something in the tree nearby began to move, startling the female knight. However, she made sure that she did not move at all, allowing the one in her care to rest peacefully. A few seconds later, however, the glimpse she had of the shadow only showed her that it had returned to its position.

The main reason why no adults were present in the mansion was because of the hidden bodyguards. After all, those kids were already old enough to take care of the basic necessities. And the assassins of the Black Gauntlet knew very well who could approach this place and who couldn't. Even now, she had learned after her arrival that a few citizens of the Synnada Empire couldn't wait long before doing something they shouldn't have. As for the children, they never knew what happened meters away from them.

Nodding her head toward the tree, she almost had the feeling that someone returned the gesture. Maybe it was true, after all, she was no longer human. Chuckling at this thought, she saw the puzzled and cute face of Istuienn looking at her. Pinching the small nose offered to her, she soon was drowned under the incessant stream of complaints the young girl had. But that didn't prevent her from smiling even more, as an angry kid was better than a lifeless one, and it was helpful to distract her guilty conscience.

Neither of the two could guess that in a house not too far from there, two men were looking at them. If one was very old, the other was a massive giant, but one that was still injured even now. The incident with the god, his fight with Ferrod and after that, his battle against both the small Dark God and the undead. Everything had left a huge toll on his body, and even if he was not considered as old, Idhrenil was not young either.

Fortunately, he had received the care of some of the disciples of the Archmage before the majority of them died, and after that, the Organization had graciously given him a few potions. However, even now, the wound he received when that fire infiltrated his arm was hurting. Without the sword of the Hero, he should have been so careless, but in the heat of the moment, he jumped without thinking.

"Was I too hard with her? Was I too soft with her?" Even if he said loudly his thoughts, Remi Darkwater that was nearby did not answer him. Both of their positions made them do things they probably shouldn't have done to their offsprings. Reminiscing of how he had failed to protect his only child, the old general felt he was in no position to give advice.

"You shouldn't think about this when you see them happy like that. Instead, you should just appreciate the sight. Before long, you will have a peacock climbing the wall of your property to sing sweets words to your daughters." Trying to imagine someone doing this to Muirnë, the bearman only felt that if the singer did not die, he could already be considered as lucky.

"Not going to happen. Except if he could beat the sword that will pierce the windows. All things considered, maybe I trained her too hard, how will she be able to find a capable husband in the future?" Before the discussion could continue, they heard a small knock on the door, signifying that their meeting had finally started.

Seeing the two shadows that were in the corner calmly leaving, the Sword Saint couldn't help but glance at the nearby elder, that felt that everything was normal. However, for him, the entire ordeal was completely new and something he never felt he would do in his life. Before, if he had been in a room with two assassins of the Black Gauntlet, he would have immediately taken his sword and fought them. Now, he was even discussing with their boss in a private meeting.

"I hope you didn't have to wait for too long. Please, take your seats." The massive dark gauntlet was not hidden and fully displayed. Even now, the first swordsman of Massalia had a hard time understanding how such a tall man with such a visibly terrifying thing on his arm could move unnoticed. Even if his hand was disguised as something else, that criminal was at least a head above everyone. And he also had that very faint mark on his forehead. How was it possible for everyone to not notice him?

"Let's clarify everything first. You are here only because Remi asked me to let you in, the reason being your son. And he also said that he would tell you everything anyway, so it was quicker for everyone. You just stay put, don't say a word and listen." Even if his words were harsh, Idhrenil did not take it badly. After all, everything was true and in the first place, he shouldn't even be here. But with the recent events and Ferrod becoming a Hero, he could feel that something grave will happen. Something that the Dark Gods wouldn't even be part of.

"Great, good attitude. Now, let's talk about our little dark friend. She was spotted all around the southern frontier between Avenio and Pankow. And the Order of Kirov had noticed her having an exchange with the undead knights of Kirov." Seeing the completely puzzled face of the Sword Saint, Remi began to laugh. All the rumors he had heard about that man were apparently true. Best fighter, worst spy.

"Listen brat, the Order of Kirov was way older than the fall of Pankow. However, some humans managed to escape the calamity and saught shelter mainly in Avenio. However, the ones that weren't as lucky turned into undead, but not any skeleton. They have managed to keep a part of their intelligence, but nearly no memories. So, even then, they can still be called knights of Kirov, just that they are no longer human."

A bit exasperated by being called a kid in front of their host, the explanation was quite clear. But it was also true that since the frontier between Massalia and the undead kingdom was quite small, he never really focused on what was happening beyond it. For him, the main threats were the Synnada Empire and after that, the Republic of Avenio.

"You can guess how happy the Hand of Avenio was when he heard that. The worst part was when he realized that it was his own sister that saw this. After nearly losing his nephew near Archet, he immediately began to move, before the approbation of the Council. And no, don't stop at each of my sentences to explain everything to him. This is off-limit."

Before letting the chance to the old general to explain the hierarchy inside the Organization, the criminal stopped him in his tracks. It was fine to explain something that could soon or later be useful, but not something touching so closely to how they worked. Also, if he wanted, he would be able to explain everything later.

"Fine, fine. But I guess that even if he has done that, he wouldn't be severely punished. After all, it is concerning Leilade." Even if it was just a name, the reactions it could provoke were quite visible. If it was just a mere frown from the Black Gauntlet himself, it made Idhrenil look at the window for a fraction of a second.

"You are right. Leilade and Ymir. You have no idea how much gold Avenio, Synnada, and Massalia are willing to spend just to have something on them. And how nearly all of those missions are not taken by anyone. By now, the news of how she had managed to escape and injure the Archmage made even the craziest of my men step back in fear. They are even more willing to go inside the Forbidden mountain or the Lake rather than approach Archet."

After saying this, the giant looked around, before finding what he was searching. Grabbing a full jar of wine, he drank it all. None of the two other men made any move, as they were still pondering about what they have learned. What they had heard was not unexpected, but they had never thought it would go to that extent. If Idhrenil did not know well the Forbidden Mountain, he had already visited the Lake once. His only sentiment after leaving that forsaken place was that whoever sought to enter it would not be human, as even the maddest would avoid it.

"So now what?" After thinking this, the Sword Saint couldn't help but blurted those words.

"Oh, the mute is talking. I forgive you this time since it is kind off concerning your job. Well, I will go where I need to, meaning Archet for your slow brain. As for you, you can do whatever you want. I advise you to search for rare plants and herbs to heal your magus. Nothing we have managed to heal them and their states are not looking good. With this, I wish you good luck."

Not waiting for even one second, the outlaw left as quickly as he came. Leaving Remi Darkwater alone with a man full of questions. Patiently teaching the grown-up father most of what could not be considered as a secret, he still eluded the question concerning the Council. After all, its existence could be found easily as it was related to the legend of the 13th Hero. As for the differences between legends and reality, well, the two had managed to obtain a glimpse of it in recent months.