Chapter 856 A Shocking Revelation
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"The things you've done are unforgivable." I said with a serious tone of voice. "But there might be even worse things that might happen to this Kingdom in the future. And what you say right now, could help us stop them from happening, Lord Magica. Could you please, perhaps to redeem yourself a bit, tell us about the Cult? Anything you know?"
"Urgh…" Magica groaned, half his body was already turned into ashes. "I joined the cult in my darkest tis, when there was nobody else for . They appeared, amidst the shadows, while I studied in the Magician Guild's Tower… They said that no matter my talent… I could grow stronger by harnessing Miasma and Nether, the Dark Arts of Corruption and Necromancy."
"I felt overjoyed with such power, but it ca with great pain and suffering. My body deteriorated." He muttered. "And before I knew it… To extend my lifespan, I allowed them to experint on , it was… part of the contract. I was never… a true mber of them, but a lab rat they picked up… This crystal granted enormous powers but… my mind… since I acquired it that… I've felt so dizzy, it hurts. I've done many things and I- Ugh…!"
As he tried to speak further, the jewel on his chest started gaining cracks, and shattering down into pieces, making him scream in agony and pain. His body convulsed, burning with holy flas coming from below his skin.
"Wait!"
I tried to keep him alive even for a bit, he still had yet to tell us sothing that we could learn aside from them existing in the Magician Tower, as we feared.
"Please, have you et their leader? Or anybody important enough within their ranks?! Anything would do!" I cried.
"T-The… The Cult Leader… I have not seen him but- Ugh! I know who him is right below… Soone, another Noble, soone unlike … ARGH! Soone gifted with power from birth… A-An even worse monster than myself!" Lord Magica scread, vomiting blood. "That bastard of Herbellstein Luminary…! The previous Knights Captain! Him! He… ARGH! Aaaagggh!"
Before he could muster another word, he quickly disappeared, turned into ashes, and flying away by the wind. The only thing left behind were several dropped items, that materialized where he had been, glowing with ethereal lights.
"Herbellstein…?" Mark wondered. "Another guy we don't know anything about, but if he was the one on David's position before, he's probably a big shot."
"Did you say…?" David muttered; his face filled with disbelief. "Herbellstein? Did he truly an it?! But that's… No, it can't be…"
"David?" I asked, noticing how the young paladin seed disturbed. "You know him?"
"Wait, wasn't David's family na Luminary too?" Mark pointed out. "David, you know this man?"
"I-I…" David sighed. "I can't believe it, did he really? But that's… no, it can't be, right? Magica was lying, isn't it?"
"Calm down first." Rita sighed. "What's gotten into you?"
"We don't know if he said the truth or not." I said. "But I would like to check for myself if he did so… Blaming soone else as he died, I don't think it would work. I believe that he perhaps was trying to redeem himself, even if a bit."
"…" David clenched his fists. "Herbellstein Luminary is my stepfather… I inherited his family na after he chose my mother as a concubine, and had a child with her, my younger sister, Annabelle."
"Seriously?!"
Everyone had a similar reaction of disbelief, Patricia didn't do so much, she was quite knowledgeable about nobles, so she knew a bit about David's stepfather, even though David didn't count as a Noble, he had gained the honorary noble title after becoming a Paladin and also the new Luminous Knights Captain of the Kingdom.
"David, he's related to you?" Rita raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's quite sothing… I didn't know it would be so connected, everything I an."
"But that makes little sense though…" The green-haired young knight, Joustin interrumpted Rita's words. "Lord Herbellstein is the previous Luminous Knights Captain, a man of conviction and strength, soone that is completely loyal to the Kingdom! He would never… He would never betray it, right? Why would he join the Cult?"
"He taught the way of the sword, the many techniques I learned, the footwork. He even helped grow stronger, so I could one day beco recognized." David clenched his fists. "He was like the father I never had the experience of eting… This is hard to believe, I'll have to think about this. Perhaps an investigation… I will tell the detectives. But we cannot act rashly either."
"Of course." I nodded. "We weren't going to do anything rashly either. Only a na was dropped, for now, we should quickly settle down and rest. The battle was long, and a lot happened."
I gazed at the destruction left behind, the entire residence was in ruins, every single plant inside of the garden was destroyed, the whole manor collapsed at the end, and there were a few burnt corpses of the chiras we had to fight.
When I as fighting just monsters, it didn't make feel this way, but now that we've been fighting people that simply fell into darkness, it made reconsider my actions. I know that what I did is right, but I couldn't help but feel slightly bad.
No matter how much I steel my heart, I can't shake this feeling of uneasiness when I am forced to take the life of another person, even if they're vile, even if they are more monsters than people.
It makes think that perhaps, if things would have been different, Magica might have continued living the life of a normal person. He might have even found a woman that loved him, and he would have a child that appreciated their father.
But maybe this is just my wishful thinking… Though, I will at least make sure his soul rests in peace, at the very least.
"[Divine Ward]: [Purifying Garden]"
I combined Divine Ward with my Verdant Green Domain Magic, as a garden of golden flowers materialized around us, spreading across the entire residence, and purifying everything.
FLAAASH!
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