WebNovels

Chapter 25 - Return to Lunia

[Lunia Town Watch Barracks]

The interrogation room in the Lunia Town Watch barracks was stark but not intimidating. After living for a month in a temple made of magical beasts' bones, right above a magus-level wyvern, Greem's standards had plummetted.

Captain Rodrigue, a broad-shouldered veteran with a neatly trimmed beard, listened to Greem's story with a weary patience.

"So, these… 'Skull Sect' acolytes", Rodrigue summarized, tapping his quill on the parchment. "They captured you. Held you for a month. Their goal was a ransom? From the Southport family?"

"Medicinal herbs, specifically," Greem clarified, his voice even. He sat perfectly still, his hands resting on the table, trembling slightly, revealing vulnerability. He had become a master of deceits, and Rodrigue started to show compassion, an evident response to a terrified boy. "They knew of my family's trade. They thought we were easy targets. I overheard them talking about… resource shortages. They're desperate."

He delivered the lie with the flat sincerity of someone too exhausted for embellishment.

Rodrigue grunted, making a note. It was a plausible story. The Southports were wealthy merchants, and the catacombs were known to harbor all sorts of scum. A new cult emerging was troubling news, but not unbelievable.

"And you escaped how?"

"A distraction. Another group of monsters attacked their temple. I ran. I was not the only prisoner, but the only one fit enough to run" Another half-truth, perfectly crafted.

Rodrigue looked at him for a long moment, then sighed, setting down his quill. "You've been through an ordeal, son. Your family is waiting outside. We may have more questions later, but for now, you're free to go. The Watch thanks you for the information. It explains the recent… disturbances."

The reunion at the Southport manor was a storm of relieved tears and frantic hugs. His mother, Elara, clung to him, sobbing into his shoulder. His father, Arthur, gripped his arm tightly, his merchant's composure shattered by raw, paternal fear. They fussed over his wounds, the haunted look in his eyes that he didn't have to fake.

It was overwhelming. And for a fleeting moment, the calculated acolyte felt a genuine, disorienting pang of something like guilt.

Later, as he sat alone in his room, the door creaked open. Clara slipped inside, closing it softly behind her. Her usual sharp, officious demeanor was gone, replaced by a nervous intensity.

"Greem," she began, her voice barely a whisper. She wrung her hands, a tell he hadn't seen since they were children. "I… I know. About the library. About the… Association."

Greem's blood ran cold. His entire body went still. He kept his face neutral.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Clara."

"I have known your back and forth there for a long time. I always knew you were hiding something, but only recently discovered the true reason. A woman approached me," Clara blurted out, her silver eyes wide. "Elizabeth. She said you were talented, but… expendable. She said I had potential too"

A faint crackle of energy, sharp and ozone-scented, sparked at her fingertips before she clenched her fist, snuffing it out. It was not a spell, but the fact that she could already create sparks was proof of high talent.

"She called it a Grade III Lightning Affinity."

The revelation hit Greem like a physical blow. Expendable. Elizabeth wasn't just grooming him; she was hedging her bets, building a roster. After hearing news of his disappearance, she had targeted his sister. The cold, manipulative brilliance of it was both admirable and terrifying. Talents rarely came out of nowhere. Greem did not know why his parents were average and both Clara and him were gifted with talent.

[Carla Southport - Lv. 1 Acolyte]

[Perks: Grade III Lightning Elemental Affinity]

He stared at her, his mind reeling. The safe, mundane world of his family was irrevocably shattered. The shadows had reached right into his bedroom. Before he could formulate a response, a maid's voice echoed from downstairs. "Greem! Captain Emma is here to see you!"

The moment broke. Clara gave him a last, desperate look.

"Let's have a proper discussion later. Surely, Elizabeth warned you about secrecy", Greem gave up

Clara nodded, before quietly slipping out of his room. 

Down in the garden, Emma waited, her practice swords in hand.

"I thought actions might speak louder than words," she said, tossing one to him. "Show me what you learned in the catacombs. Your swordplay and crossbow mastery in there were astonishing for someone who picked the sword less than a year ago"

The sparring match was different this time.

Greem's movements were not those of a clumsy scholar. He was fluid, powerful, his parries strong and his footwork sure. He didn't use a shred of magic, relying only on the body the Wyvern's blood and the Dusk Hound breath had forged.

After a particularly swift exchange where he neatly deflected her thrust and countered with a blow that stung her wrist, Emma stepped back, lowering her sword.

"You've broken through", she stated, her green eyes wide with astonishment. "You're a Knight. You've awakened your life force"

Greem nodded, catching his breath, before saying a lie: "Is the energy I feel in my chest inner energy? My movements indeed felt sharper in the catacombs, but did not think I had broken through"

Emma's face broke into a proud, earnest smile. "Greem, this is wonderful! With formal training, you could be a Captain in a year. Join the Town Watch. Serve Lunia properly. You don't have to go back to those dusty books"

It was a genuine offer, a path to a life of respect and light. He looked at her, at the hope in her eyes, and felt the weight of the chest of beast cores hidden in his room, the list of contraband burning a hole in his mind, and the image of his sister's crackling fingers. The town watch was not compatible with double affiliation to two enemy organisations, namely the sect and association.

He shook his head, a faint, apologetic smile on his lips. "My place is with my family, Emma. The merchant life… it's what I know. But I appreciate the lessons. More than you know"

The disappointment in her eyes was sharp, but she nodded, accepting his choice. As she left, Greem stood alone in the twilight garden. He was a knight, a spy, a smuggler, a brother to a new acolyte, and a pawn in multiple games. The walls between his lives were crumbling, and in the chaos, he needed time. 

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