The Beginning After The End novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196

Chapter 196: Questioning

Letting out a sigh, I sank down on deep moss and leaned back against a tree. I pulled out a water skin and took a long sip, letting the cold water sit in my mouth before I gulped it down.

There was a faint glow now as the sun came up. Looking at the sky covered in trees, I took in the view of lush green with specks of orange peeking through to provide a little warmth in this damp and cold forest.

Distracting my mind from thinking of the upcoming task that I would have to undergo, I thought back to a few days ago. Despite the weighty conversation that I had with Agrona, things seemed to be getting better.

My core had advanced to white, and every moment my body acclimated to the change, I felt stronger. The scars around on my neck and wrist hadn’t disappeared but had become noticeably lighter. My legs that had endured several substantial injuries felt lighter than before.

I knew that my body hadn’t physically changed. This meant that I still couldn’t use any sequence of Mirage Walk, including Burst Step, without accruing damage to my lower body, but using organic magic, magic that was didn’t have a set purpose predisposed by gestures or chants, had become infinitely more natural and with it a method of becoming even stronger.

Sylvie, on the other hand, didn’t have it as easy. While she looked younger than my sister in her new form, she had the coordination of a toddler.

Her frustration was visible as she frequently tripped over her own foot or lost balance for no apparent reason while standing still. Perhaps even more amusing than her stumblings was her attempts at using her newly-acquired thumbs. More than once did a maid have to clean broken plates and shelf decors in the room.

I let out a chuckle, still clearly able to picture the faces of everyone when they saw Sylvie in her human form for the first time. Everyone had taken it a different way.

Kathyln’s eyes had widened as she bolted away from my door while repeatedly apologizing for the intrusion, leaving Hester with an amused grin as I tried to explain.

My sister had pointed at me with a trembled finger, asking when Tessia and I had a child together. While I didn’t blame her since Sylvie did have this sheen wheat-colored quality to her hair that might have been a result of a shade of brown mixing with gunmetal silver, but I responded as any older brother would. I smacked the back of Ellie’s head and asked her how Sylvie could’ve been my child if she looked only a few years younger than her. At the mention of Sylvie’s name, my sister turned ecstatic and the two have been spending more time with each other ever since.

Virion’s reaction had been relatively muted; he seemed to have sensed it was Sylvie the moment he walked into the room. That didn’t mean he was going to pass up the opportunity for a witty remark though. Rubbing his chin in thought while muttering that he now knew my preference counted as such.

Surprisingly, though, Emily’s reaction had disturbed me the most. The way she turned beet red and covered her mouth was reasonable enough, but she just stood there in the doorway, her curved lips peeking out from behind her hands.

It was a duly noted reminder to me to introduce a boy to the poor lonely artificer.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I let out a deep breath. I had left Sylvie behind since she was still getting used to the changes to her body in her new form now that the seal her mother had placed on her was broken, and while I felt isolated here despite the activity going around from the aftermath of the recent battle, I knew I made the right decision.

I didn’t want her—I didn’t want anyone I knew—to see what I would have to do to the boy I had kept alive.

I just hope that things are better on General Aya’s side, I thought.

The two of us were ordered to confirm and aid in the defense against the attacks of the Alacryans assuming that the messenger’s news was correct.

With my eyes still closed, I took in the symphony of sounds. Birds sang in varying notes while insects harmonized with their chirps and drones, all accompanied by the background of rustling leaves.

“Maybe it’s actually more peaceful here than in the castle,” I muttered optimistically, imagining the chaos in the meeting room right now as the members of the Council fought for the proper distribution of soldiers and mages now that significant attacks weren’t just happening on Sapin’s doorsteps.

“General Arthur!” a familiar voice called out from a distance, prying my eyes open.

It was the elf that I had ordered to carry the Alacryan. He ran toward me deftly, never missing a footing despite the unevenness of the ground. “The Alacryan has awoken!”

I rose to my feet, patting the dirt off of my clothes. I prepared my mind, reaching out for the emptiness that would help me interrogate the enemy without remorse or sympathy, all the while trying to bury the memory of my past when the situation was reversed. “Strip the prisoner and remove everyone else from the room.”

***

The encampment of the elven troops was in the middle of a small clearing that seemed unnatural just a few hundred yards north of the battle. Or so I thought. My senses even at white-core weren’t fully accustomed to the direction-disturbing effects of the Elshire Forest.

By the holes in the ground that had been packed with fresh dirt and the trees that seemed to be unusually dense just outside the camp, it seemed like the elves had a mage with strong wood affinity to manipulate the trees like this. Tents of thick fabric filled the clearing while elven soldiers moved about in activity.

A few bowed when our eyes met, while others glanced wearily at the human kid that was perhaps several times more powerful than the entire camp combined.

The elf pointed ahead. “This way, General. The Alacryan is in the tent at the rear. Our head is waiting just outside.”

I saw the large canopy made up of twisted roots and branches and a thick cloth draping over it. A swirling dome of wind covered the wooden tent and waiting with her attention to the entrance of the tent, arms out and mana continually circulating inside her, was the same armored woman that I had managed to save from the prisoner himself.

Upon seeing our arrival, she visibly relaxed and held out a hand. “I forgot to introduce myself earlier. My name is Lenna Aemaris, head of the southeastern unit in Elenoir.”

“Arthur Leywin.” I shook her hand before turning to the tent. “He’s able to talk?”

A look of disgust traced Lenna’s face. “He’s been screaming and yelling since waking up, which is why I had to put up a wind barrier. It’ll also give you some privacy.”

“Thank you.” I took a calm breath, dissociating myself from the events about to unfold as I walked through the sound protecting barrier without disrupting the spell—a feat that was much harder than it appeared. I wouldn’t think of myself as Arthur right now. I was an interrogator from this moment.

Inside, my ears were already filled with an angry boy shouting idle threats.

“My arm! Where’s my arm? If you primitive beasts know what’s good for you, you’ll untie me. I am of blood Vale, a distinguished family of the—”

My hand cracked across his face, snapping it back with the force of the blow.

The boy looked at me, stunned. “Y-You... You slapped me! What’s your name? I’ll have you—”

I bent forward after slapping him once more to lock eyes with the boy. “I don’t think you truly understand the gravity of the situation you are in, so allow me to enlighten you.”

I stepped down on his pinky toe until a sharp ‘crack’ could be heard.

The boy screamed and flailed but the chair he was tied to never faltered.

I stared, deadpan, as he struggled to cope. A few moments later, I could feel him cycle mana to his broken toe, trying to heal and alleviate some of the pain.

The boy looked fearful for a second, most likely thinking that I would use this information to kill off his entire house, but with a quick reassurance that killing his family wasn’t my intention, he succumbed. Steffan rattled off a list of names that had no meaning to me besides that they were some distant cousin or uncle until one name that I could verify came up. “... Izora Vale, my mother. Karnal Vale, my father. Lucia Vale, my sister.” _{freewebnσvel.cøm}