It was a poison made by extracting cursed knights of their dark mana. It created a liquid that was black in colour, moving on its own, waiting to consume anything. The mixture which helped the inability of using mana was chiefly made from the dark mana, drops of mermaid tears and some ingredients that didn't have a name yet. For anyone who wasn't like Maddock Prowell, inured from childhood to poisons, it would have been hard surviving it. It was a lethal poison.
Nevertheless, Maddock survived and Stephan was stuck with a useless body. Aurora spent the rest of the night explaining what she would have done in case she was in a hard position and she had a disciple, she would certainly create a climate where he would be protected but in constant danger.
She would have pushed him to become stronger in body and mind. He couldn't understand many things she said. They were normal words used in a normal way yet he couldn't understand what she meant by them. He thought about it the rest of the night but too bad, dusk was invited to the chat and he realized he didn't rest at all. He had a comfortable room after so many days and yet, he didn't use it well.
In his long talk with Aurora, she explained also some matters and her calculations or more her understanding of the world power. Supposedly, there were twenty-two seat holders. Originally, twenty-one and she was an anomaly without a rank or a number. She was given the zero number. She didn't give more on the subject since she found it irrelevant for him to know more about it.
Apparently, the Ambrosia (the Empress vampire) was undertaking some kind of project and she needed humans for that. In the beginning, she took a human land that existed in a cold climate, thinking it would be best to start from there. However, she didn't find it sufficient and wanted another human land.
The project gave birth to two kinds of plans; the first one was unknown but the second one was something Aurora guessed. She said The Ambrosia meant to create a country where humans would live the normal life she dictated while she would milk them from their blood without realizing it.
It was easier to remove Darsoania and Revampirina (formerly part of Valtrar under the name of Josan). It was a one-sided massacre since humans didn't have enough strength to fend for themselves. They always relied on outsiders and in the end, they were abandoned even by those outsiders. If it wasn't for the dwarves and the elves who felt the need to stop vampires from growing stronger, Valtrar would have been under the rule of the Ambrosia a long time ago.
"I don't care about politics."
He tossed and turned on his bed but it was still the same thing. Humans were wronged in every way and no one stood up for them. No wonder they would despise all outsiders that didn't have their blood. He would have to deal with that often and it was sickening. It was pure racism.
"I have had enough of this," he rubbed the back of his neck. There was something in all this that reminded him of his past on Earth before he became a shut-in.
He was never accustomed to holding long discussions and being at parties. His father spent a long time building their company but as their son, instead of keeping it running, he sold his shares and gave up on reality. The feeling of not fitting in was so strong that he couldn't ignore it. No matter how he tried, nothing worked out and he had one of the worse fortunes.
"I came here for a reason," she said. The words replayed in his mind endlessly. He didn't understand why he had an interest in what she said. "I am not playing around here; someone sought my assistance in breaking a curse. Obviously, I can break curses and I can cure you too but I doubt it will happen. You cannot be cured in the past. You will need to return to your present and do what I asked. You won't need to do much. It's simply a set of herbs and you will have to look for someone who might mix the beverage for you."
"I don't care about your reasons. I only have my eyes set on the goal, the quest. I need to finish it fast. I would be indebted to you if you helped me finish it quickly. Do you know the Unnamed castle by the north of Valtrar, the one hidden in darkness and mist? There is no way you wouldn't have noticed it."
She rubbed her chin thinking about it. A castle that existed under Valtrar and was hidden from normal eyes, no matter how she turned the question in her mind, there was only a denial answer. She didn't know about it. It wasn't because she couldn't but because she didn't want to involve herself in anything that happened for humans, because of humans or made for humans.
"My quest is simple and my plan is as well. Since I lack the strength to protect myself, fate brought me to the witch. I know where the thing she looks for is, so my payment is the piece of information she needs. I was walking around for a while, walking in complete blindness not knowing where I should go or what I should do… It was until I stumbled on the main road and saw it in the further horizon. I knew it was where I was meant to go to take what had to be given to their respectful owners."
"You got the compass from the dark mage and you followed it to the road. Since you couldn't travel at night, fate brought you to me. But I don't want to help. It seems like something I would hate doing and it's a waste of energy. I just want to sit around and drink, and indulge in my fantasies. You know I like dreaming and I do it often. You should give up and return to the past."
"If I had a choice, I would have done it. But I need something from this quest."