Chapter 121 - Foolish Guy

"Sister, where are you?"Their pleas and cries were haunting Melvi, she was scared to open her eyes, she laid on the ground even after gaining her consciousness.

Until the blazing sun dried up her throat and she slowly picked herself up and cleared her blurred vision, the silence was creeping under her skin and she found herself locked up in the cell.

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"She told me, it was the last thing she remembers after that, she somehow ran away from there and years later after roaming and learning she ended up in Ovyrus Magus Academy." 

and Cecelia's orb etched a strange silence, 

Bisca, Zia, and Styrmir hear everything with their heads down, it took them a while to realize that they were to break the silence.

"So you still don't know about Melvi's past after she was released from the cell? What if she lied about that while she was actually working under Diesswrin all the time?" 

Zia sighed and leaned on the wall, she was trying her hardest to not sway because of sentiments.

"Zia, I think you should-"

"It's okay Styrmir, I understand it's hard for you to believe in her again, to be honest, I do too, she didn't tell me where she lived afterward? What did she eat? Where did she learn magic? Nothing,

But I do know that she is in pain!" Cecelia suddenly jerked her body and fell down.

Everyone rushed to her but stopped seeing her trying to raise herself again with one arm, she tucked her knees in and lowered her forehead to them,

"So! Please! Save her! I know she can be stubborn and an idiot sometimes like her sister! But that's only when she has to protect someone! So I beg you, please, save her!" 

Her voice was wavering, the orb doesn't know emotions, it only spells the words, but somehow her plea drove through it.

"We'll see what we can do, for now, we'll try our best to hear her reasons first, is that alright?" 

Zia said and turned away.

"Thank you so much…" Cecelia released her orb, 

Styrmir walked outside and Bisca went inside to prepare dinner.

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Meanwhile, in the mansion of Diesswrin, Roschart was walking ahead of chained Jane, they walked inside the duke's office, where he was looking at some papers on his desk.

"Father here is that baron's daughter…" he leaned on his father's desk, with his arms crossed.

"Oh ho! Very good!" Diesswrin walked up from his chair to Jane, 

"Ah! It's been years since I last saw you! Look how fine you have grown up! Was that cage too hard for you? I did my best to give you the best treatment but look you just overlooked my generosity and ran with a foolish guy-"

"Hmpf- that foolish guy broke into your territory,

Destroyed your ace business, 

Raided your so-called into the best security of your prison, 

Looking at everything, I don't think it was all your plan!" Jane smirked at the duke, glaring into his eyes.

"I must say! That puny guy had nothing but devil's luck! Though it is true I suffered some unrecoverable loss because of that boy…"

duke chuckled and touched her shackle and crystallized them, 

"But don't worry! Everything is in place, and I heard the boy and his captain committed suicide! We aren't even that cruel that they have to do such a thing! We believe life is precious but I guess they had no choice.

Alas! What a curse to be born as weak and peasant! May they be born as an animal so they don't have to suffer the struggles of humans again-"

"Why don't you join a theatre? You'll become famous in no time." Jane chuckled with a grin and that merry air around the duke dissolved.

"What an ignorant tongue you have…Roschart!" Duke tapped on her shackles and broke them, 

"Yes, father!"

"Slice off her tongue! We don't need it in the ritual…" duke stared at her with discontent.

"Sure will!" Roschart smiled and grabbed her wrist and kicked her knees, pulling her down.

Jane fell on her knees and Roschart chanted, 

[ GROUND ORE ]

and crystal-covered her body to her neck, she was stuck in that crystal as if her body froze in ice, 

Jane was struggling and tried to break free but she felt her mana draining, she was huffing her lungs out in the mere second, for her it felt that she was sucked drained, and crushed inside the earth.

"Well, then shall we begin?" Roschart pinched close to her nose, she was closing her mouth clenching her teeth, but in the end, she had to inhale with her mouth.

The moment she opened it Roschart shoved fingers in her mouth keeping it open and pulled her tongue.

Jane was shivering and crying, the crystal restricted her to her earlobes so she couldn't even move her head now, 

"What a nice expression! There are better and more convenient ways to do this but I like this one, you wanna know why? Because I enjoy the expression you have now!" Roschart pulled out his blade and rested upon Jane's tongue.

'Somebody please help me…' Jane's mind was going blank with fear, but then she heard the door opening.

"Your Grace, the envoy of-" Melvi walked in and was stunned with the sight in front of him, 

"Ah! Melvi! What were you saying? What happened to our guest Riger?" Duke casually smiled at her, 

Jane couldn't believe her eyes, Melvi was here with them casually holding a conversation, she understood what was going on and how she ended up here.

"Your grace, we never agreed upon this! You said you'll keep them alive and won't hurt them! Then why?" Melvi panicked and tried to avert her gaze from Jane, 

Roschart sighed and pulled his blade back, 

"Father, let's overlook this one time, I don't want to become a bad guy here, alright!" Roschart snapped his finger and the restrain of crystal broke leaving Jane to collapse on the floor.

The duke sighed and opened his papers again, 

"She has quite less mana in her body after, so she must be in great pain, take her away and lock her up, you know the place and tell her there won't be a second chance, even if you beg too!" Roschart walked out of the room, and Melvi rushed to Jane.

She picked her up and took her to the lower dungeon below the mansion and locked her in a cell, the cold walls and echoing winds, the dungeon lived up to its name.

She gave her druid stone to heal herself and recover mana to an extent, for the whole time both didn't speak to each other but when Melvi tried to leave, when Jane spoke, 

"Why did you do all this? What was the reason? Didn't they protect you until now? How could you do this to them?!" Jane shouted at her with her head down and in tears, she clenched her arms in regret and filled the hallway with her cry.

Melvi turned her back to Jane, 

"I am sure…that everyone is safe and alive, and 

you also don't have to worry, they only restrained you here to make sure there isn't any disturbance during their event! They will free you as soon as it ends-" her voice low and shaking and Jane leaped to bars pulling Melvi's cloak.

"Are you happy? Are you fine leaving them like this? I won't ask the reason but…

Have you tried asking for help? If had asked them they would've had-"

"They wouldn't! They wouldn't have helped me if I told them the truth! Why would they help me anyway? Did I meet them just a few months ago? Tell me what I am to them? Even if they were to listen to me…

They are humans! They will never accept me as their equal…" Melvi was shouting out to herself on the bars, she just wailed there in front of Jane.

"I am sorry! I dragged you into this, please forgive-"

"It's alright, you did what you have to, now to crying!" 

Jane patted her head slowly, and her remaining strength gave out, she fell on the ground exhausted, Melvi rushed inside picking her in the arms, and laid her on the stone bed of the cell.

She started healing by herself but Jane already fainted, once she completely relinquished her mana she stood wobbling from tiredness, Jane was still sleeping and she walked out of her cell.

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While in the town Riger was staying with his troop in the large rest cabins built for them overnight,  

"So, sir Riger please make yourself comfortable in my city! We will have a long chat tomorrow, so please enjoy your stay, and there is no need for a present. My son is quite happy with your presence only." 

Duke Diesswrin was sitting in front of Riger, with a cup of tea in his hands, 

"Diesswrin, whatever you are planning to do with that pendant, you better stop now! The power it withholds is beyond controllable. I'll overlook everything so kindly return it to me." Riger was grumpy, he smacked his table and stood up pointing at him.

"Guess there is no respect left for me in this world! Even the lowest of creatures are now acting high in front of me!" Diesswrin released his aura which made Riger fall on his knees, not just him, many of his troops were shaking and taking support just standing outside.

"Ho! Please don't push yourself! You have an important event to attend!" Riger put his cup down and walked out.

"And remember everybody is invited!"