Elydes

Chapter 317 - Epilogue

The pen scratched the leather notebook, highlighting the silence of the room. “So…” Chief investigator Craven raised his eyes from the paper, his face a stone slate broken by a perpetually furrowed brow. “That’s all you remember?”

The man had a talent to make every question sound like an accusation. As if implying he knew what you were hiding, so you might as well confess.

Keep calm. He doesn’t know anything.

Kai gave a slight nod. His nails were carving lines in the seat of the chair beneath the table. Three hours of ‘friendly chatting’ had stretched his patience thin, but he couldn’t betray his efforts now. “I could just think of escaping. Then… my memory got a bit fuzzy when I fainted…”

He massaged his eyes to emphasize the concept. Two days later, his mana channels still throbbed at the slightest touch; faking discomfort came naturally.

“Uhmm…” The chief investigator ran his fingers over his neat goatee, gaze flitting between him and the notes.

Kai slumped on the chair, looking bored and oblivious. “May I go, sir?”

“…yes.” The word dragged through the man’s teeth—clearly unhappy to utter it. “Contact the closest precinct and tell them my name if you remember more. Even the most insignificant detail can make a difference.”

“I hope you bring them to justice.” Kai stood to leave. A stare nailed his back till he walked out of the room. He measured his steps on the way out of the garrison headquarters to not seem overly eager.

Spirits, I would have grown roots if I stayed longer.

Cold gusts whipped his face outside, feeling almost pleasant after the asphyxiating interrogation. Kai locked his hands behind him to stretch his arms. Limgrell looked its dreary usual, the roofs of the buildings shrouded in mist.

I can’t wait to leave this cursed town.

He had considered sneaking away without seeing the Republic’s officers, but that might just create more trouble in the future.

Useless bastards.

After ignoring the disappearances for months, they scoured every corner of Limgrell when it was late. At least a few of the escapees had made it out with Kea. From the bits and pieces Kai overheard, the cult had flooded the underground tunnels soon after.

Just leave it.

Among Aela’s crazy rambling, one lesson stuck—he was in way over his head. He mustn’t involve himself with green grades, or even elite yellows; his profession, attributes and skills were too low.

Turn in the opposite direction and don’t look back. The Republic will take care of it.

Kai repeated the thought as he walked. He had told them everything he knew about the cult—he even surrendered a few of the journals he looted—the only omissions were his own skills and Hobbes. The investigator couldn’t demand that he reveal his status without a good reason.

They must know how serious this situation was.

What mattered to him now was finding a quiet town to train, maybe near a low mana region where he could hone his skills in peace. Time was on their side. Seventy million people lived in the Merian Republic alone; the mainland couldn’t be all dangerous.

I just have to avoid bloody cults and deranged psychos for a few years. How hard can it be? I’ve got almost a hundred Luck.

Reaching the Blue Hawk Inn, the voices of his friends led him into the main hall. Fynn and Rain shared smiles and chatter at a corner table, while Kea and Mari talked with Derrell of all people.

Why is that guy still here?

“You made it out.” Flynn raised an arm to greet him, two full backpacks at his feet. “I got your stuff from our previous place and bought supplies for a couple weeks. Are you sure you want to leave now?”

“Yeah, thanks for the help.” Kai bent to pick up his backpack, finding it unusually light. “Are the others ready?”

“Yup.” Flynn leaned to study him. “You know we can wait a few days. You still haven’t fully recovered.”

Kai puffed his chest. “I can manage. Dervell is not that far.” He’d feel much safer in the wilderness than in this misty town.

“Okay then.” Flynn stood up, giving Rain a hand to pull him to his feet. “With all the guards patrolling around, the road should be safe-ish. After we visit the House of Mirrors, we can see from there.”

“Sounds good.” Kai slung his backpack on his shoulder to check the contents while Flynn talked with Kea’s group.

I should tell Valela what happened if she doesn’t already.

The arrival of the Republic couldn’t be a coincidence, though he had kept his suspicions to himself. He didn’t want to expose his connection with Valela or give the investigator an excuse to look deeper into Mat.

“I can store your backpack if you want.” Rain raised his palm, the bracelet of shells on his wrist. “I've got enough space.”

Hmm… How large is your artifact exactly? No, wait! I don’t want to know. I’m not envious.

“Thank you. It’s fine. ” Kai offered him a smile. They were probably already carrying his share of the supplies to lighten his load; he didn’t need more help.

I’m not going to topple over for a bit of weight.

Once paid the innkeeper, they all walked out on the streets of Limgrell for the last time. The reinforcements sent to investigate had brought some life back to the town. People cautiously left their homes and hurried on long-delayed chores.

I’m not gonna miss this place.

The west gate soon rose over the buildings; the stone brimmed with cloaked runes.

“Names?” The guards double-checked their six IDs before waving them through. “Report to the closest patrols if you see anything suspicious.”

“We will, sir.” Flynn gave his best impression of a respectful young man.

Finally out.

Kai strode out of the shadow of the enchanted bastion. He almost expected the glum town to swallow him back if he delayed.

The road was wide up ahead, the edges encroached by weeds, winding up a slope that faded into plumy mist.

I can’t wait to see the clear sky.

He blew on his hands to warm them. Winter was fast approaching, his first one on the mainland. The seasons were harsher here. Despite the wind and storms, the temperature never touched freezing in the archipelago.

It’s been so long since I saw the snow.

Noticing he wasn’t lost staring at the hills alone, Kai walked up to his sister. They hadn’t talked much since two days ago. “Hey. Are you sure you can’t come with us? Just till we reach Dervell.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Gaze fixed ahead, Kea shook her head. “I want to accompany Mari to the coast. We must reach Varsea to find passage to Arphusa, and then home for her.” She looked at him, expression unreadable. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Derrell also decided to come with us.”

“Hmm… Is that guy that reliable?”

“He’s lucky. And better than me with people.”

“Here.” Kai threw her a pouch.

Kea caught it with a hand and almost let it drop, surprised by its weight. “What’s… She pulled the strings to peek at gold mesars jingling inside, her face immediately scrunched up. “Mat, I don’t need—”

“Please, accept it. I’ve got much more and it’ll make me feel better,” Kai said. “And it’s not just for you. I expect you to contact me at least once a month. The House of Mirrors is quite pricey.”

Kea watched him with pursed lips. “Alright. I’ll take it if you have no better use for it.”

The pouch disappeared into her bag. She hesitated a moment before leaning into a hug. “But you trust me too. I’ve no intention of dying.” She gave him a squeeze and stood back. “Be safe. You have a promise to keep.”

With her piece said, she spun on her heel and headed down the path. They had a short stretch together before the road split.

Hmm… That went… well?

He hadn’t been sure after the last conversation, but their relationship seemed to be finally looking up. Perhaps not tightly close yet, but cordial.

Kahali guard her. I hope she can stay out of trouble better than me.

“What’s on your mind?” Derrell clapped his back and followed his gaze to his sister. “Uhm… You two are closer than I thought. But you can stop worrying. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“You?”

“Oh… always so hurtful.” Derrell grabbed his chest in pain and ran a hand through his hair. After a shower and trimming, his blond curls were just slightly messy. “She’ll be safe as long as we travel together. Did I not ever tell you about my Luck? You see, since I was a lil child I—”

Please no.

“I remember,” Kai said to stop his ramblings. “And you’ve also been kidnapped by a cult. Imprisoned. Tortured. And almost died. Forgive me if I’m a little skeptical.”

“Well… being Lucky doesn’t mean life will only give you gold and roses…” His grin turned distant and somehow mournful. A gold coin carved with odd symbols flicked between his fingers. He flipped it high into the air and let it fall into his open palm. “But it does improve our odds of making it to the other side. Seemingly unfortunate events may also grant unexpected rewards.”

“Uhm,” Kai watched him, still unconvinced. “What did you get out of being kidnapped? It wasn’t much fun for me.”

“Who knows?” Derrell shrugged, his carefree smile back. “Sometimes the benefits are immediately clear, other times it can take months or years. Mortals aren’t made to understand the weavings of Fate. To try only leads to madness.”

“I see… so the explanation is beyond our comprehension.” Kai couldn’t help rolling his eyes.

He sure is a master of nonsense.

“I knew you’d understand.” Derrell winked with his mismatched gold and blue eyes. “It’s been fun hanging with you. For now, our paths split here. Till we meet again.” Arm raised in a wave, he strolled to join Kea at the bifurcation.

***

“Kai! I came as soon as I heard.” Valela’s face came into focus, cheeks flushed from running. Her panting fogged the mirror as the emerald eyes darted to scan his body. “Are you injured? What happened with the cult? I was worried when I didn’t hear from you.”

“I’m alright.” Still sitting on a chair, Kai closed the journal he had been studying, using his finger as a bookmark. He couldn’t help smiling to see her like this.

In the years he had known her, it was the first time the word messy came close to describing her appearance. An auburn lock escaped her hairpin, falling on the corner of her lips, and he counted three creases on her academy uniform.

She really hurried…

Guilt breached through his amusement. “I’m sorry I didn’t contact you sooner. I needed time to recover, and then it took a few days to reach the House of Mirrors in Dervell.”

Five days to be precise, more than double what it took him the first time.

I can’t wait to take a hot bath.

“You had to recover from what exactly?” Valela asked, voice calm and eyes gleaming. “You were wounded? I can find a healer nearby.”

Damn my large mouth

“It’s nothing that serious. Just skill strain. I overcast a new profession skill to escape, and it’s taking some time to recover.”

“That is serious, Kai.” She pushed the lock of hair behind her ear. “Straining a profession skill is dangerous. You can’t ignore it and hope it gets better.”

“I know.” Kai raised his hands to calm her without sounding dismissive. “I also have another skill that can slowly heal my channels. So I’m already better. I’ll be as good as new in a week.”

Both the passive and active sides of Nature Healing scaled with the vibrant green mana in his surroundings. So aside from the rough terrain and beasts, the wilderness hastened his recovery.

Valela stepped back from the mirror, regaining her queenly composure. “You… How many more skills have you learned?”

“Hmm… a few… I got lucky.”

“Lucky…” She combed back her hair, brows raised in disbelief. “I’m glad you’re okay after that crazy plan of yours. I asked a friend to alert the central garrison of the province. But then the Republic sealed the investigation, so I couldn’t get any information from Limgrell. Was it really the Stygian Cult? Is everyone safe?”

“It’s complicated. We…” Kai began recounting. He had revisited the events several times during the days of march, from the clues leading them to the Lake of Mist, to the praetor and Niel’s death. “I should have—“

“It’s not your fault,” Valela blinked repeatedly. She had been the one to sponsor Niel to travel to the mainland and ask him to keep an eye on Kea for his sake. “You did all you could…”

“And it’s not your fault either,” Kai said, shoulder hunched on the chair. Easing the guilt of others seemed much more straightforward than his own. “It wasn’t us who killed him…”

Though we couldn’t help either.

Valela nodded, arms wrapped around herself. “I’ll ensure his family won’t have to worry about money. It’s the least I can do. He didn’t deserve to end like this…”

“He really didn’t…”

They fell silent, facing mirrors thousands of miles apart. The brief memories of his interactions with Niel flooded his mind. Niel had been one of the best people he had met, helping others regardless of the circumstances, but Fate had never cared about good and evil.

I can’t change the past.

Kai broke the stall when the book he had been holding slipped from his hand and tumbled on the onyx tile floor. He bent to pick it up and cleared his throat. “Uhm… I’ve been studying this journal.”

“Oh,” Valela woke from her thoughts. “That’s the one you got on the Intrepid?”

“Yes. And I’ve got a few others I found in the underground hideout.” Kai took out a few more volumes filled with notes and slips of paper. “The ciphering method is similar, so it was useful to compare them.”

He had promised himself not to get involved, but a little knowledge wouldn’t harm anyone when he already had the journals.

“You’ve cracked it?” Valela perked up with curiosity.

“Partially.” Kai flipped through the pages and began explaining. “I’m still working on some sections…”

From the first pages, the writer—who signed himself as B—was on the run from the cult. The reason was never explained, probably recorded in a previous journal.

Paranoid musings to avoid detection filled over half the pages. The diary wasn’t meant to be read by someone else, so the entries often lacked context and made logical leaps more confusing than the ciphering. Still, it contained some interesting tidbits.

B had been investigating potential collaborators of the cult and searching for people who might help him hide. Among the names was Kai’s old teacher, Elijah Lockhart Greaves; it couldn't be anyone else, considering B searched for him in the archipelago.

Pity he never explained who Elijah was, or why he was looking for him…

Kai had been reading the names out loud when Valela interrupted.

“Calan Cervesi?” She leaned forward on the chair. “Are you certain?”

“Yeah.” He double-checked, fidgeting with the pen against his thigh. “Do you know him?”

“I—no…“ Valela paused scribbling her notes. “There is a professor with a similar name, so it caught me by surprise. But it’s not the same. Please continue.”

“Okay…” Kai flipped to the next page.

They spent the next hour speculating about the journal. Their guesses hung on air more than facts, but Kai enjoyed exchanging ideas with her, talking and making connections he would have otherwise missed.

“I’ll tell you if I find anything.” Valela closed her notebook when the time drew late. “Have you made plans on where you’ll go now?”

Kai stretched his legs. “Hmm… no. We haven’t decided yet. Some place to train and grow stronger, probably. That’s the best way to be safe. Uh, have you got any tips?”

“If you’re looking to learn and hone your skills. I do.” Valela faintly smiled. “There are places made for that. Several actually. Have you ever considered enrolling in an academy?”

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End of Book 4

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