After dismissing Ralph, the king looked at Arnold.
"Arnold… swear to me and the gods that this meeting never happen." Elijah said in a serious tone.
"Hmm? Ah, yes, Your Majesty. I swear by the gods and by your name this meeting never happened. I was never here." Arnold was confused at first but he does anything as the king ordered him to.
"Good. You can leave now" Elijah nods and dismiss the Royal Knight Commander.
"As you wish Your Majesty." Arnold kneels in front of the king and queen then leave the throne room.
"That is a very shocking information. Demonic beast from the underworld. Miasma and all. I think I have read about the underworld when I was studying in the Dawn Kingdom." Charlotte said in a solemn tone.
"I also have encountered some ancient records about this. My father keeps it in the basement of the library where the other ancient records are kept hidden. The question is how does that 10-year-old boy knows? Who is he really?" Elijah started to become suspicious of Adrian.
"Hmm… Let's think about that later. That boy will just dodge the question or hide it if we asked him directly. About the ancient records… Can I check it sometime?" Charlotte states the truth and pivots the attention to the basement of the library.
"That is true… It looks like we got more work cut out for us. About the basement, we can go together later. Right now, we need to think when to convene a meeting among the nobles." Elijah begins to think of a strategy.
"Do you know dear, spring this year had a lot of weddings happening but we must gather the nobles as soon as possible. We choose a day where a wedding is happening, better when the wedding is in the capital." Charlotte brings out her suggestions.
"Smart. You can set the date then, Char." Elijah gives a big smile and a kiss on the cheek to his wife.
"Fufufu… Thank you for the compliment." Charlotte likes it when she is prised.
"Let's go have lunch with the kids and Marie today." Elijah opens up a suggestion.
"Sure. After reading the letter from the boy, I'm predicting rough days are ahead. Let's enjoy for today." Charlotte holds Elijah's hand and head towards the dining table together.
Meanwhile in Light Edge town.
"Hey did you hear the rumors? Someone saw crystals above the town heading towards the count's estate."
"I did hear about it. I just ignore it. It's not something new. All of us can do magic."
"But it heading towards the count's estate. The young master is left alone. It must be that fake priest Jonah's doing. He wants vengeance."
"Yeah. Maybe you are right. I don't understand why the young master spares him."
"Are you kidding? A 10-year-old boy killing someone in public during broad daylight? We call him a hero not a maniac."
Chatters are heard inside the tavern. Various rumors and news are spread through town.
Molly is at the counter tending the bar and counter alone. Her mother and father is at the hospital so she holds the responsibility to open the tavern but only serve the drinks. The other customers understands her situation and only pay for the drinks and go eat somewhere else as there are various stalls that sell food.
It's not worth it to pressure a little girl to serve food. Some mercenaries already stand with Molly. Lily's Tavern is the town's favourite tavern after all. Having Molly to open and serve drinks is already helping them a lot.
Inside a dimly lit prison under the count's estate.
"Kcikk…KWakkk... Keekkkk"
"Wahahaha… More master! Make them scream even more! Bwahahaha…" A deep voice of a man laughing sounded that only Adrian can hear.
"No master… Don't mind that. You need to show honor to your enemies and just finish them off quickly." A voice of a kind man can be heard next.
"SHUT THE F*** UP, ARCH." Adrian's scream echoes throughout the empty prison. Left it more silent than usual.
"Ughh… Great. More voices inside my head now. It uses to be peaceful when only Aria is with me. Then, Cassie suddenly came along. It still at a bearable level. But now…." Adrian contemplates what happen to the things that had bonded with him.
[Responding. ARIA appreciates Master's dependence on ARIA.]
"Hey, what do you mean that I'm bearable. I'm also dependable. Humph." Cassie pouts hearing Adrian's incomplete compliment.
"Don't be like that master. We are fated to be together." The deep voice replies trying to console Adrian.
"That is right! The master is different." The kind voice agrees TO ITS OWN STATEMENT.
"Sigh…" Adrian rubs his temples not because of the putrid smell of the piles of lake imps corpse at the corner but to ease his mental exhaustion.
The new addition to the voices inside Adrian's head is from the Grimoire of the Fallen. The God artifact that had been bonded with his soul since he had awakened mana.
The grimoire suddenly came out on its own after Adrian finished 'researching' the 10th lake imp. It had 2 types of voices one is a deep devilish voice the other is the voice of a kind pious man. It's from the same source but the one speaking is like having a dissociative identity disorder.
That is what Adrian had a headache from. The grimoire suddenly began to speak because it says the energy form the demonic beast miasma made it possible. Aria came in said there is a possibility that the grimoire can be unlock by absorbing the miasma.
When Adrian thinks back the angel wing and devil wing tattoo are in contrast to the personality of the grimoire so Adrian calls it 'Arch' for simplicity. He gains inspiration from the Comedy and Tragedy Mask of Theatre which changes expressions with only the difference of arches.
"Hehehe… Don't be so angry master. You have blessed me with an amazing name."
"I am Arch. Master, pleased to meet you. I will serve master dutifully." Arch is still beaming with excitement as the chains is dancing around Adrian.
"Ah, let me also help master clean up the table from these scraps."
"That's right a clean work space is the best work space." Arch's chains begins to extends and grabs the lake imp corpse on the table and toss it with the other pile.
"Women, wash this filth away."
"Cassiopeia? Can you help master clean the table please?" Arch pleads Cassie to clean the table form the green blood of the lake imps.
"Ughhh…. Sighs…." Cassie grabs her spirit head in confusion as to do it or not. One voice is rude and the other is as polite as a pure child. After thinking for a minute, she sighs and wash away the blood from the table. She did it for Adrian.
"A mediocre spiritual lifeform can be useful sometimes."
"Thank you very much, Cassiopeia. I appreciate your kindness." Arch comments and give thanks.
"Adriannnn…. Help me. Sob sob…" Cassie broke down into tears as she never felt this confuse in her entire many life times.
"Sigh… I feel the same, Cassie. Aria, can we do something to shut the grimoire up." Adrian also felt it was too much.
"I apologize, master. Wait, Venerable One. DON'T YOU DARE SHUT ME OUT!"
"Please, Venerable One. I will behave and stay quiet. But please don't lock me away." Arch pleads.
"???" Adrian realizes the Grimoire of the Fallen called Aria, 'Venerable One'.
[…]
After a long silence, Aria finally gives the results.
[Notice. A PROMISE had been formed. Grimoire of the Fallen or 'Arch' (A) had agreed to a formal pact with Master.]
[The details are as follows:]
[1. (A) must obey every command from Master without resisting and hesitation.]
[2. (A) must protect Master from any threats that may harm Master.]
[3. (A) cannot voice its opinion first. Permission from Master is first needed to speak.]
[4. Master will help (A) to regain full power but (A) had to serve Master for eternity after regaining full power.]
[Do Master accept the terms?]
[Yes/No]
Adrian read the short terms of the 'promise'. It was basically a slave contract. It's too good to be true.
"Arch, tell me something before we agree on this." Adrian tires to play hard to get just to get more form the book.
"Yes, master."
"Ask me anything! Anything at all!" Arch responds enthusiastically.
"You said you don't remember anything and latch on to me because I'm special. What do you mean by that?" Adrian wants some answers as he wonders about this.
"I choose master because master feels…. 'familiar'."
"True. Master feels 'familiar' but I don't know why." Arch responds in a meek tone.
"Hmm… Next question. You said you gain the ability to communicate because the fluctuation of miasma from the lake imps awakens you. Does that mean you need miasma to regain your full power? Are you from the underworld?" Adrian did not get anything from the first question but insist to ask more.
"Hahaha… The Underworld. The place of my birth. A scenery of misery."
"That horrifying and putrid palace is where I came from. As for the further details… I don't know." Arch does know something but that is all.
"Sigh… This is going nowhere. Agree to the terms, Aria." Adrian sighs and press 'Yes'.
The floating grimoire starts to shake and the chains begun to dance wildly.
[Notice. Bond with 'Grimoire of the Fallen' had been strengthen.]
[New feature from the 'Grimoire of the Fallen' is now available…]
['Sinner's Divine Chains' can now be use freely by Master's will.]
Adrian can feel his connection to the chains. He now can control it with a thought. When Adrian found the Grimoire of the Fallen, it only had 2 chains binding the book. Now, the chains can multiply and acts like an octopus tentacle while the Grimoire still had a chain locking the book close shut.
Adrian tries to open the last chain on the book but he was unsuccessful. Feeling disappointed he take a look at the chains. With a wave of his hands, the chains struck the prison wall.
*BOOOMMM*
The underground prison shakes a bit. The wall that is struck by the chains had been obliterated.
"Analyse"
[Name: Sinner's Divine Chains] [Type: God Artifact]
[Description: Divine chains with the purpose to seal.]