Hofir thought he'd be left alone but a new voice chimed in when the tent curtain parted.
"It seems the beast is done licking its wounds."
A skeleton, one wearing a luxurious robe with a fancy top hat, entered the white tent. He proudly walked over to a chair, sat down and rested his feet on the table.
"…Who are you?"
"I am merely a merchant. I do not remember my name from my days as a living being so you can refer to me as whatever you feel most comfortable with." the light in its empty eye sockets looked at Hofir, "Allow this one to clear up something. I heard about your battle with my favorite customer and understand your motive for wishing for it which is why you're the one who needs to hear it—that girl was not under any charm magic. she is simply following her instincts as a woman. That instinct being: seeking a strong and handsome mate."
"…"
"Did I get that right? Or do women no longer seek out the strong? Hmm, I do not communicate with humans much outside of work so I do not know anymore. Back when I was alive, there were otherworldly things invading my world, which drove women into the arms of powerful warriors and magicians, those who could protect them. In exchange, they bear that man's children, give him a loving home and something worthy to fight for. The other way around was also true, but were much rare."
The examples he gave were still very common amongst demihumans who maintained a strength-based hierarchy. In these societies, power and physical prowess were not only respected but also essential for survival and social standing, especially for nobility. The strongest individuals often held leadership positions and were sought after as mates for their ability to protect and provide. The empire had a similar system, but it was not as widespread in comparison. Nevertheless, the civil war had shown just how valued powerful individuals are to a nation if the Demon-Human War was not enough.
A law was born from the flames of war. This law decreed that every commander, soldier, or knight who achieved great feats in battle was allowed to choose any daughter of any noble or official of the empire to create the next generation. This was a way to ensure that the strength and valor demonstrated on the battlefield would be passed down, creating a lineage of powerful and capable individuals. It was a common practice among demihumans, even in times of peace. Every chief had his own harem and could select mates based on their strength and abilities.
The empire's law aimed to institutionalize this practice, ensuring that the most powerful warriors and leaders had the opportunity to propagate their strength. This was seen as a way to maintain the empire's might and stability, by ensuring that future generations would inherit the qualities that made their ancestors great. While this practice was controversial and often led to tension among the nobility, it was widely accepted as a necessary measure to preserve the empire's power and security.
In this way, the legacy of strength and valor was passed down through generations, shaping the culture and society of both demihumans and humans within the empire. It was a tradition rooted in the harsh realities of their world, where only the strong could survive and thrive. This focus on strength and power continued to influence their lives, guiding their choices and shaping their destinies.
Taking all this into account, what the undead was saying could be true even to the most stubborn individuals. Arnold was already desired by many of the women in the group (some from the rescue party and the rest the students), not to mention the academy as well. Everyone was aware that he comes from a powerful household, possessed powerful martial arts, was one of the strongest individuals in the academy (almost besting Adavire in the second and third categories), and was extremely gifted in both looks and intelligence. If he wasn't such a bastard then every single woman in the empire would've desired him because it was obvious that he'll become a great man one day.
Even if he's so desired by many, Hofir couldn't accept that Madilith would leave him just for Arnold. They broke up years ago so surely, she's already forgotten about him!?
Plus, Hofir was also quite strong even if he was nowhere near Arnold's level. Yet none have showed interest in him at all. Of course, it was far different back home (in the Therionia Kingdom) since human and demihuman values differed greatly.
"…Are you Arnold's friend?"
"Why would you think so?"
"You're defending him. I'm not going to be brainwashed by anyone…"
"Oh, dear me, no. I have no such intention. I am merely stating the facts. Your fellow companions outside were very talkative about recent events. They brought up your, hm, delicate situation. I decided to speak to them while—I hope he forgives me for not using honorifics while not in his presence—Arnold is inside that brown-haired girl with the glasses."
"He's inside who!?" Hofir tried to get up quickly but he collapsed onto his knees from the pain in his leg. He looked down, noticing a purple pigmentation in the skin surrounding his leg. It was broken completely after his fight with Arnold but it seems Sabrina was able to heal it to an extent. Hofir was more than capable of fighting with only his two arms and one leg since he is used to fighting on all fours. That said, the pain in his leg
"May I finish what I was going to say?" the skeleton seemed a bit annoyed.
"…" Hofir nodded with a bitter expression.
"The two of them are under a [Dream Trance]. It's a state of mind where two souls are linked through the mind properties of a dream spell. This kind of spell isn't commonly known in your empire, is it? Well, magic talent had been rather stale ever since I left. In any case, in order for the spell to work, both individuals using the spell need to remain asleep. Depending on what they're doing, it could take days for them to wake up."
Days…? What are they doing inside Madilith's head during all that time!? Why was he even inside her head in the first place!? Hofir has to get to the bottom of this.
"During all this, they'll appear to be dead since all their bodily functions are shut off. The spell can maintain their breathing for them. Depending on how powerful the spell is, they could last for up to years in that state. But that's beside the point. A mind control spell would've broken that dream spell so your accusations are false."
"?"
"Mind control and dream magic are one of the same. They influence the mind, which is a trait they share but in the latter's case, it can bind souls together. The "River of Souls", as long as it is ripe with a stream of oncoming souls and their rich lifeforce, can keep their souls safe outside their bodies. What did they call this again? [Blessing of Souls]? It is this powerful blessing that will keep both of their souls alive even if their bodies were to perish in the physical world. Put another way, they can also not be influenced by outside forces or their bodies taken over by others, with there being few exceptions. This might be useless information to you but think of it like a piece of magic theory. Who knows, it might come in handy." He cackled, "I double checked if the dream magic spell somehow bypassed a mind control magic that you—and pardon my bluntness—made up. There was none to be found. Which means~"
Hofir glared at the skeleton.
"You owe him an apology, kakakaka~"
"Never! You're trying to deceive me! You're trying to look good for Arnold by spouting lies, aren't you!?" Hofir shouted back, his rage welling up inside him like an ember blown by the wind and turning into a massive fire.
He knew he was acting like a child throwing a tantrum.
He knew he'd only embarrass himself if he went up to Arnold again and screamed in his face about giving Madilith back.
He couldn't accept it.
He couldn't accept that Madilith—the girl who looks at him so lovingly—just threw him away like trash.
First love hurts the most, as they say and he would be devastated if he found out that his first love left him for her former lover. Hofir might turn back into the same person he was before he became friends with Sabrina.
"He's threatening her family and friends! Yes, that has to be it!"
The skeleton probably would've been making a pitiful expression if it had a face. It shook its head slowly before pulling out a vial filled with purple liquid. He threw that vial over to Hofir. It landed in Hofir's lap on top of the blanket.
"Drink it. You need to be ready to head out in two hours, no? That potion will heal every injury in your body so long as no limbs are cut off and it seems to me that you have all four attached. And not to worry, it's free. I am feeling generous today for some reason." He stood up and headed for the entrance, "You best hurry to apologize to him, kakaka. I would not want to get on the bad side of a Lord, kaka!"
The skeleton then left.
Hofir looked at the vial. A thought of it being poison slipped past his mind but he didn't give it much thought. Hofir took a deep breath and opened the vial before drinking all its contents.
◊◊
"Hey, you're up!" Keetha came up to Hofir when he exited the white tent. His leg was all better now after consuming the potion, "Eh, Sabrina said you need a second session of treatments so how are you still walking? No, forget it. All that matters is you're okay!"
Keetha walked away after giving him a big smile. Hofir was a little taken aback.
Was she really worried about him?
Just when he had that thought, more of his classmates came up to him. They surrounded him in a circle, each sharing relieved expressions. Evelyn put her hand on Hofir's shoulder with a smile.
"Sabrina will be glad to see you awake and well. She was so exhausted at the end that she fell unconscious."
"Uhm, where is she?"
"She's resting in Anais' tent. Why not go wake her? We were just getting ready to gather all our things"
Hofir scratched his cheek at everyone's gazes.
"No, let Hofir go eat something first." Anais chimed in, "You must be starving, right? You didn't have breakfast, after all."
Wait, she knew? He didn't expect anyone would pay that much attention to him. They didn't in the past so he didn't think they'd do so now. For some reason he felt a warmth in his heart from being noticed by the people he's known for years.
"Come on." Urged by the boys, Hofir relented with a wry smile.
The group were about to drag Hofir off but someone shouted from somewhere in the camp.
"—Arnold is awake!"
Hofir was the first to storm towards the voice's direction.
The others hurriedly followed along.
**
Arnold stood in the center of the group as they silently waited for him to speak the words: "The curse has been lifted." Despite being outdoors, the air felt thick, and the mere act of breathing and gulping could be heard. Noticing the strange expression on his face, Hofir decided not to approach. However, his eyes were glued to Madilith, who was still sleeping on a sleeping bag that the others had laid out earlier.
"Arnold... Did you manage to remove the curse?" Arthur asked the question on everyone's minds as he glanced back at Fleridine—or more like the Womb sack—that was still inside the camp.
Several gulps echoed when Arnold looked at all of them with a small smile, his eyes devoid of light. Among the confused gazes were those who felt a certain premonition when they saw his hopeless expression. Evelyn, Hofir, Arthur, Shirley, Fecius, Daraia, Hans, Keetha, Hadd, Charkley… and others shared that same feeling. Hofir could feel their shared emotions somehow.
Arnold silently walked over to Madilith—whose chest was heaving up and down. His sleeping bag wasn't that far from hers, so it was a short walk, but everyone felt like they were waiting an eternity for him to ease their minds: "The curse has been lifted." Why aren't you saying anything? That was probably the thought in all their minds.
Someone forced her way through the crowd, her clothes wrinkled, bra exposed and her hair messy. "Excuse me, excuse me," she finally managed to reach the center of the group, "Al!" Her once sleepy expression brightened when she saw Arnold, who had lifted Madilith's upper body.
"What are you doing...?" Feeling that something was strange, Sabrina slowly walked up to him, "Why isn't Madi waking up?"
"She can't wake up," Arnold said with a small voice, but it was a voice that everyone heard. The group exchanged gazes, not knowing what that meant.
"What do you mean she can't wake up!?" Evelyn shouted, "Did the curse affect her too!?"
Arnold brushed Madilith's bangs aside and said in a whisper, "Looking at her this close makes me realize how cute she's always been..."
"Arnold! What's wrong with Madilith!?" Evelyn, now a little annoyed that she was being ignored, shouted. Madilith swayed a bit when Arnold let her go, but she remained upright. Hofir could hear her sleepy moans, so she was thankfully still alive.
Arnold silently moved back a little, sitting directly behind Madilith. His broken arm hung limply at his side after coming loose from the makeshift sling, but his good arm moved with a strange resolve. He pulled back his arm, straightening his fingers and turning his palm to the sky.
"Arnold, what are you—!" Arthur's voice was drowned out by screams as Arnold's hand, with all the force he could muster, cleanly pierced through Madilith's chest from the back, destroying her heart in the process with a surge of power. Her chest ripped open and his hand went through the hole like a mole burrowing through the ground and emerging from its burrow.
A titan-like roar reverberated, followed by a "We will get you for this!!!!!!! The Soul King shall rule the nine realms one day!" but only Arnold could hear this.
Another roar resounded among the screams of horror from the students and adventurers.
It was from Hofir. His ferocious roar startled those who were close to him, making them collapse from surprise.
Hofir was about to charge at Arnold but he suddenly felt the world turn upside down as he collapsed with his chin onto the ground.
Unknowing to him, Flora had hit his temple with the pommel of her sword, easily subduing him.
◊◊
Arnold pulled back his arm, out of Madilith, causing her to fall sideways. Sabrina, in her screams of horror and repeated "nonnonono", ran towards her friend and picked Madilith up while the tears ran down her face.
Ignoring the gasps and screams, Arnold looked at the quest completion notification floating in his peripheral vision.
· Alternate choice to complete quest: Kill NPC Madilith.
He didn't even know this was an alternate method that the system would recommend. It was rather vague on how he should get rid of Cursama. Maybe the system trusted that he'd find a way without it guiding him? It probably also thought he'd hesitate if it gave him this choice.
· Cursama's curse skill [Hearts of Cause] {EX} has been removed!
· Congratulations! You have received [Dragon's Descent – Lighting] (A) and a partial version of NPC Sebastian's Finger God martial art (S)!
· Your relationship with your dragon soul grows stronger. Grow familiar with the Dragon God's descendants and the culture or secrets surrounding dragons and their abilities for more rewards in the future.
· Your soul trembles at the powerful energy gifted to you by the dragon soul.
· All stats have been increased by 15%!
· Level gained: 0
· Experience Points gained: 0
'At least tell me whose soul it is.' Arnold had such a fleeting thought. He could feel an immense amount of energy entering his body from an unknown source.
Arnold could hear a shout right at that moment when the power subsided—louder than everyone else's—coming from behind him so he dismissed the status window and turned to that person who was now running towards him with her sword drawn.
Her deep green eyes were filled with tears streaming down her face.
"YOU BASTARD!!!!!!" her sword was filled with the might of a thousand elementals and could definitely cut apart concrete as if it were butter.
She raised the sword and swung it down.
Arnold dodged to the side to avoid Evelyn's attack, which penetrated the ground, causing a massive explosion that was followed by vines that shot out of the ground, erecting a majestic tree that even the imperial palace could not stand equal to. It all happened in a second, showing how powerful Evelyn's spirit magic actually was.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
She then attempted to swing her sword again but her wrist was hit by Arnold's quick attack. However, she didn't stop. In fact, she caught the sword that fell down with her other hand and attempted to attack him again.
Arnold could've easily killed her in ten—no—hundred different ways because she's nowhere near his level. That is probably what everyone was thinking. After all, the murderer who just killed their companion should have no remorse killing someone else, right?
Despite this, no one else could step up, not even the adventurers who were standing like statues while watching this scene.
Even Daraia's gaze held a hint of fear.
What did she see through her eyes?
What does Arnold look like to everyone standing there as the flesh, skin and blood of Madilith ran down his arm like melting ice cream?
Evelyn's sword headed straight for Arnold's heart but it pierced something else instead.
"Get out of the way! Let me kill him!"
Flora was the one who was standing between the two of them. Evelyn's sword had penetrated her shoulder but didn't get that deep due to Flora tightening her muscles and enhancing her physical abilities with her body techniques.
Instead of answering Evelyn, Flora slapped her in the face, sending her flying and crashing into the ground with her head buried. Her legs fell down limply.
"You will not touch him." Flora's powerful glare, coupled with her wild killing intent sent shivers down everyone's spine.
Arnold observed everyone's expressions before speaking.
"Sometimes it takes a necessary evil to stand up to fate. A hero isn't allowed that privilege alone." He glanced at Arthur who looking at this scene with slightly raised eyebrows seeming as if he didn't know how to react to what just happened.
Arnold looked at Madilith.
Sabrina was still clutching her best friend's lifeless body while tears streamed down her face. Her wails were loud and painful to hear, almost making even Arnold's composed expression falter.
"I will take Madilith's body to her family's home using teleportation across worlds. If you wish to join me then I won't stop you." Arnold walked over to the sobbing Sabrina who was clutching Madilith's body.
She trembled when Arnold approached her. She clutched Madilith even tighter to her chest.
Arnold knelt in front of her and repeated the words he said to someone else before: "I do not do things on a whim." His hand gently stroked Sabrina's hair.
There was no plea for forgiveness or for them to understand him.
Their hatred was inevitable.
They could despise him, curse his name, and view him as the villain of their stories.
To him, their judgment was a small price to pay for his freedom and theirs.
He would not be the plaything of fate or Oriel.
No longer would he allow the whims of destiny or the manipulations of those who sought to control him dictate his actions.
He had broken free from the chains of their expectations and carved his own path, one defined by his choices and his will.
He will never regret his decision because it was a choice he had to make to ensure his survival. Although his reason was somewhat selfish, he would have hesitated if there wasn't a way to save other people's lives as well.
The consequence of his choice… What will it be? He could not imagine all of them sitting around a campfire, laughing about how they defeated a boss together, after what just happened.
It's fine if he never receives a "thank you" or even a smile of appreciation.
He did not do what he did for their appreciation or fame.
If there are consequences then he'll face them head-on just like the Arnold in that vision that Oriel shown him.
Whether he walks down the path of Hero Arnold or Demon Lord Arnold was up to him to decide. But walking the path of both would be inevitable if out of his control, making it a treacherous journey fraught with challenges that could tear him apart from within.
The line between heroism and villainy is thin in Star Fantasy, and straddling it demands a strength and resolve few possess.