Chapter 314: 079 – Tainted Memories
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Reyna had a lot of enemies she made over the years, and she could think of more than a few people who would want to kill her.
She slowly listed out every name she could recall, she had done something similar with a father, but this time she recalled a few names that she missed last time.
Just as she finished listing the names her eyes landed on Selner and she recalled what Selner shouted that night when all the poisoned adepts were in the infirmary.
She remembered Selner shouting about a monster, and suddenly another image popped up in her head, an image of a black-haired man she met in Willcolly, 'I'll remember this,' she recalled the words he always muttered as they tortured him.
Suddenly her mind went back to that first meeting that they had in Willcolly, in that village that was void of any life, and there he was sitting in the centre of the abandoned place, drinking all the abandoned ale to his heart's content.
He stood there uncaring of the strange circumstances, even when she bound him with her spells and dropped him through the ground until only his head and hands remained, he never showed even the slightest panic of worry.
At the time she simply attested it to his drunken state, but as she thought on it she realised that he was far too calm, even after her squad said that she was an adapt he didn't even show the slightest reaction.
In fact, he knew exactly who she was, she remembered clearly when he whispered her name right next to her ear, the memory sent shivers down her spine because it was like her entire body remembered what she felt.
Dread and trepidation, it was like she was looking at a monster… a demon… an infernal in the shape of a man, a creature that could bring everything to ruin.
'By The Heavenly Empress,' she thought with pure horror in her shaking eyes, 'What was I thinking, how could I have sold such a creature, I should have killed him then,' she thought with a shaky breath.
She couldn't understand how she accepted the idea of selling him, 'Did he influence my mind… but no that's not possible I checked his body he held no cultivation… unless…' Reyna's eyes widened to epic proportions as she thought of the crazy possibility that Lirian had a way to hide his cultivation.
It sounded crazy in her mind, but there seemed to be no other explanation she could find, what she didn't know was that her mind was in fact truly affected, in part it was Lirian's charm but mostly it was the effect of the, boon creating a miracle with Lirian's charm.
It made her forget her initial terror and influenced not just her actions but also the members of her squad, and in truth, not even Lirian knew that was what happened.
"Reyna!" Stanley practically shouted, she had gone unresponsive for a while now, and even as he shook her body she barely seemed to register his actions.
Reyna suddenly snapped back to reality, "What's wrong did you remember something?" Stanley started to ask when he noticed that she snapped out of her daze.
Reyna opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly hesitated, she realised that if she said anything it would be no different from her admitting to her lies, in her report from what she found when she reached Willcolly she didn't include Lirian in the report.
She only mentioned him as a bandit that she caught and branded as a slave, if she admitted to her lie, she would surely be met by the fury of the Lord and even her father, after all since Lirian was found in Willcolly he should have been brought directly to the leaders of the family to be interrogated.
"No, it's nothing," Reyna eventually sighed while shaking her head, but as she caught Stanley's eye she could tell that he didn't seem convinced, evidently her strange behaviour made him think that she was hiding things.
"Reyna remember that this is something that has affected the entire family, and it's only going to get worse," Stanley reminded her of the seriousness of the situation, he was certain that she was hiding something after witnessing her strange reaction.
But he knew that he couldn't push for answers, especially if she was ashamed about something that she had done.
"If you did something that you're not proud of, I can plead leniency for you," Stanley offered her a way out, a way to resolve any problems her actions brought to the family.
Reyna eventually sighed and shook her head, even if he pleaded leniency for her, it would still bring her under ridicule and she wouldn't be able to bear the disappointment of her father.
Stanley sighed, he was certain that she was hiding something after seeing that hesitation in her eyes but he didn't know how to get it out of her, "If you remember anything else come and find me, hopefully, it won't be too late by then," he said casting her a deep look as he got up and walked out of the infirmary.
'It can't really be that man, can it?' Reyna thought, but that was when she remembered something from the night she was poisoned, 'Izlandi she threatened to reveal the truth about Willcolly, could it have been one of my squad members that told her the truth or was it him?" she wondered.
Her eyes fell back on Selner and suddenly she got a bad feeling in her stomach, 'Did he meet Izlandi after Selner bought him, could she be the traitor mentioned in that note?' she thought with fear running through every fibre of her being.
Reyna recalled drinking the punch at the feast, it was the same punch that Izlandi had drunk after slapping her, she remembered it vividly, everyone who was there probably remembered it, Izlandi was at the centre of attention after she hit her.
'But no that can't be, there were plenty of others who drank the punch after Izlandi left, not all of them were poisoned,' she realised and shook her head, so far the only thing she could confirm was that it wasn't Izlandi who poisoned everyone.
"Wait," she called out to Stanley who was already at the infirmary doors, "That slave in the black-market auction, find him," she said to Stanley, she didn't want to reveal too much without proof.
Stanley paused and a frown formed on his face, he doubted that he could forget that rude and disrespectful slave, "What does he have to do with this?" he asked with confusion.
Reyna hesitated a bit but she quickly came up with something, "He was my slave, I'm the one who branded him," she answered.
Stanley's eyes widened in surprise, "Where the hell did you pick up such an unruly slave?" he asked with anger in his voice, he couldn't forget how that slave insulted him.
"He was just a bandit," Reyna lied, she was still unwilling to reveal the truth, "But there was something strange about him, I can't explain it, but after seeing him I'm sure that you know what I mean," she said.
Stanley didn't want to admit it, but he had to agree with Reyna, there was something strange about that slave, it was the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he carried himself with absolute confidence and arrogance, none of it resembled a slave.
Stanley couldn't even think of a noble who emitted such a commanding presence, but all that did was make him even angrier, 'How could a mere slave have such a powerful disposition?' the simple thought of that arrogant slave was enough to get his blood boiling.
"He kept threatening my squad as we returned to the city, but we simply laughed at his words, but no matter what we did to him he kept his confidence as he threatened us, it's hard to describe, but at the time I didn't take him seriously, but now his words haunt my mind," she said shaking her head, it was like she was still trying to understand it herself.
"Are you trying to tell me that my brother's death is the work of some insignificant slave?" Stanley asked in a heated tone, his words made it clear that he thought nothing of Lirian.
Reyna sighed and shook her head, "I don't know, I only remember what I felt, I can't explain it but that man he was a monster, I should have killed him when I found him, but I can't understand why I didn't, if there is anyone who wants me dead, it is almost certainly that monster" Reyna said expressing her truthful thoughts.
She wanted to voice her thoughts about the possibility of Izlandi working with Lirian, but she hurriedly shut down that thought, since she couldn't prove it, it would be foolish of her to say anything, it would only cause her problems if she was proven wrong.
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Reyna had a lot of enemies she made over the years, and she could think of more than a few people who would want to kill her.
She slowly listed out every name she could recall, she had done something similar with a father, but this time she recalled a few names that she missed last time.
Just as she finished listing the names her eyes landed on Selner and she recalled what Selner shouted that night when all the poisoned adepts were in the infirmary.
She remembered Selner shouting about a monster, and suddenly another image popped up in her head, an image of a black-haired man she met in Willcolly, 'I'll remember this,' she recalled the words he always muttered as they tortured him.
Suddenly her mind went back to that first meeting that they had in Willcolly, in that village that was void of any life, and there he was sitting in the centre of the abandoned place, drinking all the abandoned ale to his heart's content.
He stood there uncaring of the strange circumstances, even when she bound him with her spells and dropped him through the ground until only his head and hands remained, he never showed even the slightest panic of worry.
At the time she simply attested it to his drunken state, but as she thought on it she realised that he was far too calm, even after her squad said that she was an adapt he didn't even show the slightest reaction.
In fact, he knew exactly who she was, she remembered clearly when he whispered her name right next to her ear, the memory sent shivers down her spine because it was like her entire body remembered what she felt.
Dread and trepidation, it was like she was looking at a monster… a demon… an infernal in the shape of a man, a creature that could bring everything to ruin.
'By The Heavenly Empress,' she thought with pure horror in her shaking eyes, 'What was I thinking, how could I have sold such a creature, I should have killed him then,' she thought with a shaky breath.
She couldn't understand how she accepted the idea of selling him, 'Did he influence my mind… but no that's not possible I checked his body he held no cultivation… unless…' Reyna's eyes widened to epic proportions as she thought of the crazy possibility that Lirian had a way to hide his cultivation.
It sounded crazy in her mind, but there seemed to be no other explanation she could find, what she didn't know was that her mind was in fact truly affected, in part it was Lirian's charm but mostly it was the effect of the, boon creating a miracle with Lirian's charm.
It made her forget her initial terror and influenced not just her actions but also the members of her squad, and in truth, not even Lirian knew that was what happened.
"Reyna!" Stanley practically shouted, she had gone unresponsive for a while now, and even as he shook her body she barely seemed to register his actions.
Reyna suddenly snapped back to reality, "What's wrong did you remember something?" Stanley started to ask when he noticed that she snapped out of her daze.
Reyna opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly hesitated, she realised that if she said anything it would be no different from her admitting to her lies, in her report from what she found when she reached Willcolly she didn't include Lirian in the report.
She only mentioned him as a bandit that she caught and branded as a slave, if she admitted to her lie, she would surely be met by the fury of the Lord and even her father, after all since Lirian was found in Willcolly he should have been brought directly to the leaders of the family to be interrogated.
"No, it's nothing," Reyna eventually sighed while shaking her head, but as she caught Stanley's eye she could tell that he didn't seem convinced, evidently her strange behaviour made him think that she was hiding things.
"Reyna remember that this is something that has affected the entire family, and it's only going to get worse," Stanley reminded her of the seriousness of the situation, he was certain that she was hiding something after witnessing her strange reaction.
But he knew that he couldn't push for answers, especially if she was ashamed about something that she had done.
"If you did something that you're not proud of, I can plead leniency for you," Stanley offered her a way out, a way to resolve any problems her actions brought to the family.
Reyna eventually sighed and shook her head, even if he pleaded leniency for her, it would still bring her under ridicule and she wouldn't be able to bear the disappointment of her father.
Stanley sighed, he was certain that she was hiding something after seeing that hesitation in her eyes but he didn't know how to get it out of her, "If you remember anything else come and find me, hopefully, it won't be too late by then," he said casting her a deep look as he got up and walked out of the infirmary.
'It can't really be that man, can it?' Reyna thought, but that was when she remembered something from the night she was poisoned, 'Izlandi she threatened to reveal the truth about Willcolly, could it have been one of my squad members that told her the truth or was it him?" she wondered.
Her eyes fell back on Selner and suddenly she got a bad feeling in her stomach, 'Did he meet Izlandi after Selner bought him, could she be the traitor mentioned in that note?' she thought with fear running through every fibre of her being.
Reyna recalled drinking the punch at the feast, it was the same punch that Izlandi had drunk after slapping her, she remembered it vividly, everyone who was there probably remembered it, Izlandi was at the centre of attention after she hit her.
'But no that can't be, there were plenty of others who drank the punch after Izlandi left, not all of them were poisoned,' she realised and shook her head, so far the only thing she could confirm was that it wasn't Izlandi who poisoned everyone.
"Wait," she called out to Stanley who was already at the infirmary doors, "That slave in the black-market auction, find him," she said to Stanley, she didn't want to reveal too much without proof.
Stanley paused and a frown formed on his face, he doubted that he could forget that rude and disrespectful slave, "What does he have to do with this?" he asked with confusion.
Reyna hesitated a bit but she quickly came up with something, "He was my slave, I'm the one who branded him," she answered.
Stanley's eyes widened in surprise, "Where the hell did you pick up such an unruly slave?" he asked with anger in his voice, he couldn't forget how that slave insulted him.
"He was just a bandit," Reyna lied, she was still unwilling to reveal the truth, "But there was something strange about him, I can't explain it, but after seeing him I'm sure that you know what I mean," she said.
Stanley didn't want to admit it, but he had to agree with Reyna, there was something strange about that slave, it was the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he carried himself with absolute confidence and arrogance, none of it resembled a slave.
Stanley couldn't even think of a noble who emitted such a commanding presence, but all that did was make him even angrier, 'How could a mere slave have such a powerful disposition?' the simple thought of that arrogant slave was enough to get his blood boiling.
"He kept threatening my squad as we returned to the city, but we simply laughed at his words, but no matter what we did to him he kept his confidence as he threatened us, it's hard to describe, but at the time I didn't take him seriously, but now his words haunt my mind," she said shaking her head, it was like she was still trying to understand it herself.
"Are you trying to tell me that my brother's death is the work of some insignificant slave?" Stanley asked in a heated tone, his words made it clear that he thought nothing of Lirian.
Reyna sighed and shook her head, "I don't know, I only remember what I felt, I can't explain it but that man he was a monster, I should have killed him when I found him, but I can't understand why I didn't, if there is anyone who wants me dead, it is almost certainly that monster" Reyna said expressing her truthful thoughts.
She wanted to voice her thoughts about the possibility of Izlandi working with Lirian, but she hurriedly shut down that thought, since she couldn't prove it, it would be foolish of her to say anything, it would only cause her problems if she was proven wrong.
Reyna had a lot of enemies she made over the years, and she could think of more than a few people who would want to kill her.She slowly listed out every name she could recall, she had done something similar with a father, but this time she recalled a few names that she missed last time.Just as she finished listing the names her eyes landed on Selner and she recalled what Selner shouted that night when all the poisoned adepts were in the infirmary.She remembered Selner shouting about a monster, and suddenly another image popped up in her head, an image of a black-haired man she met in Willcolly, 'I'll remember this,' she recalled the words he always muttered as they tortured him.Suddenly her mind went back to that first meeting that they had in Willcolly, in that village that was void of any life, and there he was sitting in the centre of the abandoned place, drinking all the abandoned ale to his heart's content.He stood there uncaring of the strange circumstances, even when she bound him with her spells and dropped him through the ground until only his head and hands remained, he never showed even the slightest panic of worry.At the time she simply attested it to his drunken state, but as she thought on it she realised that he was far too calm, even after her squad said that she was an adapt he didn't even show the slightest reaction.In fact, he knew exactly who she was, she remembered clearly when he whispered her name right next to her ear, the memory sent shivers down her spine because it was like her entire body remembered what she felt.Dread and trepidation, it was like she was looking at a monster a demon an infernal in the shape of a man, a creature that could bring everything to ruin.'By The Heavenly Empress,' she thought with pure horror in her shaking eyes, 'What was I thinking, how could I have sold such a creature, I should have killed him then,' she thought with a shaky breath.She couldn't understand how she accepted the idea of selling him, 'Did he influence my mind but no that's not possible I checked his body he held no cultivation unless' Reyna's eyes widened to epic proportions as she thought of the crazy possibility that Lirian had a way to hide his cultivation.It sounded crazy in her mind, but there seemed to be no other explanation she could find, what she didn't know was that her mind was in fact truly affected, in part it was Lirian's charm but mostly it was the effect of the, boon creating a miracle with Lirian's charm.It made her forget her initial terror and influenced not just her actions but also the members of her squad, and in truth, not even Lirian knew that was what happened."Reyna!" Stanley practically shouted, she had gone unresponsive for a while now, and even as he shook her body she barely seemed to register his actions.Reyna suddenly snapped back to reality, "What's wrong did you remember something?" Stanley started to ask when he noticed that she snapped out of her daze.Reyna opened her mouth to speak, but she suddenly hesitated, she realised that if she said anything it would be no different from her admitting to her lies, in her report from what she found when she reached Willcolly she didn't include Lirian in the report.She only mentioned him as a bandit that she caught and branded as a slave, if she admitted to her lie, she would surely be met by the fury of the Lord and even her father, after all since Lirian was found in Willcolly he should have been brought directly to the leaders of the family to be interrogated."No, it's nothing," Reyna eventually sighed while shaking her head, but as she caught Stanley's eye she could tell that he didn't seem convinced, evidently her strange behaviour made him think that she was hiding things."Reyna remember that this is something that has affected the entire family, and it's only going to get worse," Stanley reminded her of the seriousness of the situation, he was certain that she was hiding something after witnessing her strange reaction.But he knew that he couldn't push for answers, especially if she was ashamed about something that she had done."If you did something that you're not proud of, I can plead leniency for you," Stanley offered her a way out, a way to resolve any problems her actions brought to the family.Reyna eventually sighed and shook her head, even if he pleaded leniency for her, it would still bring her under ridicule and she wouldn't be able to bear the disappointment of her father.Stanley sighed, he was certain that she was hiding something after seeing that hesitation in her eyes but he didn't know how to get it out of her, "If you remember anything else come and find me, hopefully, it won't be too late by then," he said casting her a deep look as he got up and walked out of the infirmary.'It can't really be that man, can it?' Reyna thought, but that was when she remembered something from the night she was poisoned, 'Izlandi she threatened to reveal the truth about Willcolly, could it have been one of my squad members that told her the truth or was it him?" she wondered.Her eyes fell back on Selner and suddenly she got a bad feeling in her stomach, 'Did he meet Izlandi after Selner bought him, could she be the traitor mentioned in that note?' she thought with fear running through every fibre of her being.Reyna recalled drinking the punch at the feast, it was the same punch that Izlandi had drunk after slapping her, she remembered it vividly, everyone who was there probably remembered it, Izlandi was at the centre of attention after she hit her.'But no that can't be, there were plenty of others who drank the punch after Izlandi left, not all of them were poisoned,' she realised and shook her head, so far the only thing she could confirm was that it wasn't Izlandi who poisoned everyone."Wait," she called out to Stanley who was already at the infirmary doors, "That slave in the black-market auction, find him," she said to Stanley, she didn't want to reveal too much without proof.Stanley paused and a frown formed on his face, he doubted that he could forget that rude and disrespectful slave, "What does he have to do with this?" he asked with confusion.Reyna hesitated a bit but she quickly came up with something, "He was my slave, I'm the one who branded him," she answered.Stanley's eyes widened in surprise, "Where the hell did you pick up such an unruly slave?" he asked with anger in his voice, he couldn't forget how that slave insulted him."He was just a bandit," Reyna lied, she was still unwilling to reveal the truth, "But there was something strange about him, I can't explain it, but after seeing him I'm sure that you know what I mean," she said.Stanley didn't want to admit it, but he had to agree with Reyna, there was something strange about that slave, it was the way he spoke, the way he acted, the way he carried himself with absolute confidence and arrogance, none of it resembled a slave.Stanley couldn't even think of a noble who emitted such a commanding presence, but all that did was make him even angrier, 'How could a mere slave have such a powerful disposition?' the simple thought of that arrogant slave was enough to get his blood boiling."He kept threatening my squad as we returned to the city, but we simply laughed at his words, but no matter what we did to him he kept his confidence as he threatened us, it's hard to describe, but at the time I didn't take him seriously, but now his words haunt my mind," she said shaking her head, it was like she was still trying to understand it herself."Are you trying to tell me that my brother's death is the work of some insignificant slave?" Stanley asked in a heated tone, his words made it clear that he thought nothing of Lirian.Reyna sighed and shook her head, "I don't know, I only remember what I felt, I can't explain it but that man he was a monster, I should have killed him when I found him, but I can't understand why I didn't, if there is anyone who wants me dead, it is almost certainly that monster" Reyna said expressing her truthful thoughts.She wanted to voice her thoughts about the possibility of Izlandi working with Lirian, but she hurriedly shut down that thought, since she couldn't prove it, it would be foolish of her to say anything, it would only cause her problems if she was proven wrong.
