Areyos Orionis's Point of View
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"What!? He works for your brother!?" Kaiser said, astonished.
"Let's say they're partners. So, here's some advice: don't meddle in his affairs, it's for your own good, especially for Rey, who still owes me a favor," Erina replied.
"Got it, Eri. Thanks for the advice," I responded.
"I really hope you'll listen, Rey, don't expect me to protect you from my brother because I won't be able to anyway," Erina said, her tone becoming firmer.
"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I won't go after Marlow…"
"Good. Anything else?" Erina asked.
"No, that's all. Thanks, Eri," I said before she hung up with a "you're welcome."
What Erina had just told us put a stop to any plans to find Marlow tonight. Being such an important partner to Kayn Shelter, it would be a mistake to get involved in his affairs... At least for now. I don't know how Kayn Shelter runs his shadow empire. I know nothing about him, not even his face. And people like that have eyes and ears everywhere. He'll have all the information he needs about me the moment I start my investigation.
"You look thoughtful, Rey. I know you're not going to let Marlow get away with this, but you heard Erina, the risk is way too high. Kayn is not someone to take lightly. Even Father knows how dangerous he is," Kaiser said, returning to his normal form.
"I know, Kaiser… let's go back," I said. We returned to the manor, my mind trying to figure out how to get revenge on all this.
Upon our return, Barrios was already asleep. We changed and had a late breakfast before going to sleep ourselves. The night passed, leaving behind a trail of lifeless bodies scattered throughout the city, taking away joy and hope for some, and awakening hatred and vengeance in others.
The sun rose, as usual, and Kaiser came to wake me up, a bit earlier than usual this time:
"Get up, you lazy bum, how do you manage to wake up early on weekends but not during the week?" Kaiser asked firmly.
"Ahh... come on, let me sleep, it's too early," I said, my face buried in my pillow.
"Do you even know what time it is?" Kaiser asked.
"It's 6:11, classes start at 9," I replied, my voice muffled by the pillow.
"How do you know the time? You don't have your signet ring on," Kaiser asked, intrigued.
"I just know, okay? Leave me alone, Kaiser," I said, annoyed.
"Go tell that to Father, he sent me," Kaiser responded indifferently before leaving. Knowing Barrios, he'd feed me to the monsters if I didn't get up. I set aside my laziness, got ready, and went downstairs.
"Where's Rey?" Barrios asked.
"He's still sleeping," Kaiser answered, amused.
"I'm here, I'm here," I said, coming downstairs.
"So, you finally decided to get up?" Kaiser said mockingly.
"Yeah, I lost my sleep instantly, I don't know why," I said, sitting at the table. Breakfast had been served, probably prepared by Kaiser.
"Well, I hope you both slept well," Barrios said.
"Yes, yes, very well."
"Great. I received a report about bodies found all over a large farm a bit south of the city. There were about thirty bodies and a gigantic crater with a body in the center," Barrios said casually, staring at Kaiser.
"Oh—really? What could have caused that?" Kaiser asked, embarrassed, probably wondering if Barrios knew what we did yesterday or if he was just giving us random information.
"Yeah, how could that happen?" I said mockingly, my eyes on Kaiser.
"That's not all; two men were also found in a store not far from here. One with his heart ripped out, the other with his head severed," he said, looking at me.
"Oh, well, the guy who did that must have been pretty pissed," I said with an embarrassed laugh. Barrios looked at us without saying a word, letting us know he had already guessed we were responsible.
"Care to explain what was going through your heads? Kaiser, I can understand leaving bodies lying around, but not you, Areyos. You're better positioned than him to understand the importance of discretion," Barrios said firmly.
"So, you're upset because we weren't discreet, not because we killed people?" Kaiser asked, confused and surprised.
"You probably had a good reason to do it. And I assume Areyos started it, and you followed, didn't you, Kaiser?"
"Uh... Yes, that's true," Kaiser admitted. "How did you guess?"
"Astarus was like that. He delivered justice in his own way, legal or not. And somehow, he always managed to drag me into his plans without Athlana suspecting anything. Areyos is exactly like him," Barrios explained.
"Hmm, like father, like son, I guess," Kaiser said mockingly.
"Tell me, Rey, did you intentionally not dispose of the bodies?" Barrios asked, surprising Kaiser.
I let out a slight sigh before answering:
"Indeed, I deliberately left the bodies lying around to see how Marlow Moore would explain how and why his guards ended up in a 14-year-old girl's store."
"Marlow Moore!? Really, Rey! Anyone but him!" Barrios exclaimed, hitting his forehead. "He won't need to explain because the press won't report on it."
"Why not!?" Kaiser asked, a hint of worry in his voice.
"Let's just say all the magical technology of the press and the entire kingdom belongs to Marlow Moore. He's the bridge between the affairs of the kingdom of Baringer and Sylvestria."
"What!? Don't tell me that!" I exclaimed. Marlow Moore had more influence than I had imagined.
"So, no matter what he's done to you, you must not go after him," Barrios added.
"But you can, right? No one can stop you," Kaiser said.
"Of course, I could kill him without trouble. But I would need a valid reason for it to be legal."
"He ordered a friend's grandmother to commit suicide in front of her. Isn't that a legal reason?" I asked, anger starting to rise, but I kept my calm.
"Can you prove that?" Barrios asked, crossing his arms. His question made me think for a moment. Technically, he didn't kill her; he coerced her into suicide. But how to legally prove that?
"Imagine during the trial, you give your account of the events, and Marlow's lawyer lies, claiming the grandmother, desperate, threatened Marlow to commit suicide if he didn't give her 2 million Keras, but Marlow refused. How do you prove he's lying?" Barrios asked again.
"Well..." I began, unable to finish my sentence.
"Not to mention there's a good chance your lawyer or even the judge might already be corrupted by Marlow with a large sum of money to ensure you lose the trial before it even starts," Barrios continued.
"I see, and what if I testified against him about the 'Crimsonfall case'?" I said, taking on a more serious tone.
"What are you talking about? What do you know about that case?" Barrios asked. Indeed, I had never talked about that to Barrios. He didn't know I was among the children kidnapped in that city, now abandoned. So, I told him the whole story in detail. Barrios was shocked.
"I can't believe... I could have lost you..." Barrios added, deeply disturbed.
"Yes... If I didn't say anything, it was so you wouldn't feel guilty because it wasn't your fault," I said, trying to lift his spirits.
"It's true, and if Rey hadn't been there, he wouldn't know what he knows about his race now, like the multipliers or transformations. Besides, before he was captured, he perfected his waterbending in the temple where he was, and without that, he wouldn't have survived against the Peacock King, right, Rey?" Kaiser asked.
"That's right, I'm glad I went through that experience when I was younger. It sharpened my senses and intelligence," I replied.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there," Barrios said, a hint of regret in his voice.
"It's nothing, you can't be everywhere at once. And for my part, I'm glad you weren't there. Otherwise, I might be less strong than Kaiser, given the experience I would've missed," I said provocatively.
"And what makes you think you're stronger than me?" Kaiser asked, annoyed.
"I don't know, maybe your defeat yesterday during training, ahahah."
"I remind you, in total, I've won 99 duels against you compared to your 98."
"Who cares, you still lost yesterday, even though you're in your prime, ahahah," I retorted, which made Barrios smile.
"So, that story is valid, right? I don't think we'll let him go free knowing he kidnapped and tortured children just for a remedy," I asked.
"It will still be hard to prove. Do you have any way to prove Marlow was involved in that case?"
"Isn't a testimony enough!?" Kaiser exclaimed.
"No, because in court, you could perfectly have made up that story to ruin Marlow's reputation."
"Damn! So we have to look for evidence against him," Kaiser said thoughtfully.
"With Kayn Shelter covering his back, it will be complicated. He'll find us before we get anything on Marlow," I added.
"Kayn Shelter? I thought I told you to stay away from his affairs," Barrios exclaimed.
"We found out he's an ally of Marlow thanks to Erina. He's the one who asked Marlow to create the remedy for his sister in exchange for total protection."
"It wouldn't have worked anyway... The curse Erina suffers from is beyond any cure," Barrios said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused.
"It all goes back to the night of Thaleus's sacrifice. While he was destroying enemy reinforcements, as you know, I returned here to Baringer. The first wave of demons was neutralized by Ghost."
"Yes, you told us that story. But what's the connection with Erina?" I said, even more confused.
"What I didn't tell you is that Ghost didn't just fight demons but also two Demon Kings. He managed to kill one, but the other escaped."
"Two Demon Kings!?" Kaiser exclaimed.
"Yes. Unlike demons, Demon Kings are entirely made of 'black celestial,' an energy opposite to celestial but with similar characteristics," Barrios explained.
"Wait, does that mean they're completely invulnerable to everything in the universe!?" I asked, shocked.
"Everything except what is celestial, like the Regalia, for example."
"But wait, does that also mean that the powers of the Demon Kings use an energy system made of black celestial?" I asked.
"Exactly. The attacks of Demon Kings can't be stopped or countered, nor can their effects. And since their bodies are also made of celestial particles, nothing in the universe can affect them except for celestial beings and powers."
"How did Ghost win?" I asked, shocked.
"Ahahah, Ghost is extremely powerful; he's stronger than Athlana and slightly less strong than me," Barrios said, resting his cheek on his hand.
"Amazing, no wonder Kayn is so strong," Kaiser said.
"And what happened after you returned that night?" I asked.
"I neutralized the third wave of demons, then came across a particularly powerful Demon King compared to others, his name was Kazakh. Although he fled from me, he still managed to curse me with his black celestial," Barrios explained, his gaze turning thoughtful.
"Curse you? How so?" Kaiser asked.
After a sigh, Barrios revealed his secret: "I can no longer create Regalia... That Demon King sealed my 'blacksmith's gift,'" he said.
"What!? They can do that?" Kaiser exclaimed.
"Yes, they can. My psyche wasn't higher than Kazakh's, so his curse, being a psychic power, pierced all my psychic defenses."
"Bad luck..." Kaiser said, sympathetically.
"You said it. But I wasn't the only one cursed that night. The Demon King fighting Ghost also cast a curse before escaping. But since Ghost's psyche was superior, the Demon King cast it on his wife, but Demios didn't know that. It was only later, when they were expecting a baby, that they realized the curse had affected his wife. Unfortunately, the curse was genetic, so his daughter was also affected from her mother's womb," Barrios explained.
"What kind of curse is it?" I asked, intrigued.
"It's a curse that slowly consumes vitality. It makes them vulnerable and sensitive to all existing powers, even their own."
"Sorry!? You mean they can't use their powers or withstand attacks for fear of causing their own death?"
"Yes, that's right. A simple spark from a beginner could cause significant damage to those affected by this curse, or even a simple punch. A simple change in temperature could make them faint or worse, kill them. This curse incredibly intensifies received damage and harmful effects while significantly diminishing protective and healing effects."
"What a terrible curse!" Kaiser exclaimed, shocked.
"But Erina doesn't seem bothered by this curse; she can use her flames freely and took heavy damage against the Peacock King. If I go by what you just said, she'd already be dead against such force," I said, confused.
"That's because we found a solution. When he heard the news, Zaymon came to help Demios with his mystic magic. But it wasn't enough; a Regalia was needed to elevate his magic to the celestial level to hope to cancel a black celestial curse."
"But Demios can still create Magias, right? He could have infused them with Zaymon's magic to make it celestial," I asked.
"He did, but even though it had an equivalent nature, the magic now celestial remained far less powerful than the black celestial curse."
"But then, what's the difference with a Regalia if elevating the nature of the magic isn't enough?" Kaiser asked.
"Regalia don't just elevate the nature of the infused energies; they add very significant multipliers. Zaymon's infused magic would be 100 times more powerful in a Regalia."
"Ah, I see, so you made her a Regalia?" Kaiser asked.
"No, I remind you that my 'blacksmith's gift' was sealed."
"Oh, right. But then how did Demios do it?" Kaiser asked again.
"I asked your uncle Zendal, the King of Baringer. He's the only remaining being capable of creating Regalias."
"Wow, that's incredible, I didn't know he could do that," I said with calm astonishment.
"But alas, Zendal isn't really skilled at creating Regalia. So, making a Regalia ring in which we could infuse Zaymon's magic would take 4 months, not 10 seconds like I did."
"4 months!! That's super long!!!" Kaiser exclaimed.
"Indeed. Mirai, Demios's wife, was already 5 months pregnant. So, once the ring was ready and the child was born, Zaymon used his now celestial and boosted magic to cancel Erina's curse, not Mirai's. Unfortunately, when the first energy infused into a new Regalia is used for something other than a weapon's power, the Regalia destroys itself after its use."
"So the ring was destroyed after Zaymon used it because a ring is an accessory, not a weapon or armor. It doesn't possess weapon powers," I deduced.
"Exactly."
"He chose to save the child over the mother?" Kaiser asked, confused.
"Erina, being a newborn, was far more susceptible to dying from the curse. While she was in her mother's womb, Erina could rely on her mother's vitality to stay alive instead of being directly consumed by the curse. But once born, she was no longer linked to her mother's vital system, so the curse would have killed her much faster," I deduced.
"That's correct. Mirai sacrificed herself for her daughter. Unfortunately, no matter how powerful Zaymon's magic was, even with all the boosts from the Regalia, it couldn't cancel the curse... at least not entirely," Barrios explained.
"So Erina still has weaknesses?" Kaiser asked.
"One weakness: Poison. Hence the need for Kayn to create an ultimate remedy, to keep reserves in case Erina gets poisoned," I guessed.
"That's right. Kayn loves his family more than anything and would do anything to protect them, regardless of the cost. He'd let the world burn to save his family."
"I understand better now... and what happened to Mirai?" I asked.
"According to Zaymon, she could have held on for another 4 months or more before the curse took her. A second Regalia was in the making... but alas, she never got to use it..." Barrios said, looking thoughtful.
"What happened!? She could have lasted more than 4 months, just long enough to receive the Regalia in time!" Kaiser exclaimed. Barrios didn't say a word and stood up, ready for work.
"What happened that day was a tragedy. But let's leave the past where it is. And regarding Marlow, don't attempt anything against him, or you'll be without pocket money until the end of the prodigy exams, is that clear?" Barrios said authoritatively.
"Understood," we answered, scared but still curious about the end of the story.
"Good, and likewise, let me handle Yoko's assassin. He's far more dangerous than Marlow. Focus on your studies, understood?" Barrios added in the same tone.
"Understood, boss," we responded in unison.
"Good. Have a good day, I'm off, I've got a long week ahead of me."
"Thank you, Father, have a good day too," we said in unison.
One story has many facets, each having impacted its actors differently. That night, Thaleus lost his life, Baringer was invaded, Demios received the nickname Ghost, Barrios lost his blacksmith gift, and Mirai was struck by a curse that ultimately killed her. Are there other facets to this story that I'm unaware of? And what is the extent of the consequences of each facet? I can answer yes to the first question, but as for the second, time will tell...
To be continued...