The Sword and The Shadow

Finding the Truth

"Stop trying to persuade me!" Leguna said with a frustrated wave of his hands. Innilis and Eirinn would come to him over the past few days and do all they could to change his mind about saving Kurdak, but he still refused to do so.

However, Annelotte stopped trying after the first attempt. She was rather mad over the past few days and couldn't be bothered with the unreasonable Leguna. However, as the principal of a magic academy, she did hear about some rumors on the matter. While the bureau looked like it wasn't doing much about it, small actions were actually being taken here and there.

For instance, the bureau head often kept in contact with Alissanda and Larwin. Eirinn also said that Leguna wouldn't sleep until it was late in the night. Though, it wasn't that she was spending nights in the same room he was. Eirinn was just paying attention to the sounds coming from his room next door. Her half-elf hearing would catch even the smallest movement.

He had been thinking it over, struggling and even mumbling to himself! Unbeknownst to her, he was just talking to Gahrona out loud.

Knowing how Leguna felt about it, Eirinn took the chance to try to brainwash him. In terms of noisiness, a single woman could possibly rival even five hundred ducks, and Innilis was not just a normal girl. She could be noisier than seven hundred ducks combined. That simple calculation put the noise Leguna had to constantly face at around 1200 ducks. The fact he was able to hold on for that long without yielding was already a miracle.

Tonight, Eirinn and Innilis went to his room for their usual business. When Leguna saw the two of incoming disasters, he waved his hands hurriedly in terror without the slightest hint of care and concern for them. How could he, after what they put him through over the past few days?"

"It's not up to us to persuade you today," Innilis said with her hands on her waist.

"What? Don't think I'm afraid of Annie!" Leguna didn't show any signs of backing down, but Eirinn caught with her sharp eyes Leguna's legs tightening when he realized it might be Annelotte.

"It's me!" a cold voice came from behind the two girls.

"Miss Lamir? Why are you here? Is it for Boss?"

"Who else could it be for, idiot?!" Lamir looked to be in a worse mood than Leguna. She didn't even bother to put up airs. The daughter of a general who also happened to be a priestess marched her way to Leguna's desk, emptied the teapot into a cup and began gulping the tea down.

The environment had truly affected her. She had learned that habit after spending days at the military camp with Kurdak. Only someone like Kurdak would drink in such an inelegant manor. If she were in Goldeagle instead, perhaps the water she would be allowed to drink had to be measured by the milliliter!

"Ach…" Lamir's face reddened when she finished.

"Well, you should look for someone who has something to do with Kurdak then. Why come to me?" Leguna said as he furrowed his brow. She looked like she had just traveled a long way to Melindor. But she didn't even rest and came straight to him. Was she really that worried about Kurdak?

"I have no ftime fto argue withh yu!" she said, poking her tongue out.

The rest couldn't help but chuckle at the sound of that. She had probably burned herself from chugging the hot tea Leguna made not long ago.

""Well, Miss Lamir, let's get to business then…" he said, stifling a laugh.

"I'm ftelling yu… KFurdak is…" Seeing that she wouldn't be able to speak properly in that state, she glared at him and said, "Jfusft yuu waift!"

She had wanted to use a divine miracle, but hse couldn't even speak the incantation properly. She made two attempts, both of which ended in failure.

"Let me," Eirinn said when she could no longer stand it. She used a miracle to heal her burns.

Lamir was shocked to see the dense glow of the sacred light flowing from Eirinn. She recalled that Kurdak told her about how Leguna had a divinely-favored girl with him. It seemed that he was talking about Eirinn, based on how her divine miracle looked and her close relationship with Leguna.

The three women had run into each other outside Leguna's quarters. Lamir was having trouble with the guards, who stubbornly refused to let her in no matter what. It was around that time that Innilis and Eirinn came over. After finding out who she was, Eirinn took her along to see Leguna.

While she had heard about Lamir from Leguna before, it was actually Eirinn's first meeting with her.

"Thank you, Sis Eirinn." Lamir smiled as she wondered about what she heard about Eirinn. She recalled that she was described as pitiful and ugly. How had she become so beautiful out of nowhere?

But Lamir couldn't be bothered with such trivial questions now. She snapped her head back to Leguna and said, "Kurdak didn't betray you! He didn't do it!"

"You say that like you've seen it with your own eyes!" Naturally, he wouldn't cast his doubts away just because she said one thing to challenge them.

"Even though I didn't see it, I know the truth better than you do! Kurdak definitely didn't betray you!"

"Then prove it!" he said, finally ready to listen seriously.

"Tell me. Under what circumstances did he meet you?" Lamir asked.

"He asked Annie and me to go to the lake at the outskirts to meet him."

"How does Kurdak's abilities compare to those of you two combined?"

"Even though he's experienced many battles, he still comes a little short compared to me, a gifted, to say no less of Annie!"

"Then that's your first point--" Lamir stretched one finger out. "--If he really was trying to kill you, he could've asked you to come alone. Whether he can defeat you or not doesn't matter. He had many chances to launch a surprise attack. Despite that, he asked you to take Miss Annie along. She's the famous Glacial Empress and the top five magi on the continent! Why would Kurdak ask her to come along?"

"How would I know?!" he said in frustration from the constant barrage of questions.

"I do," Lamir said calmly, "he had her come because he was afraid something would go wrong during the act! Miss Annie's an insurance policy. She can keep you alive and make sure he doesn't die as well. Do you accept this line of reasoning?"

"Give me a motive!" Leguna said as he hammered his desk. He had tried to figure out Kurdak's intentions, but he simply couldn't think of a motive he would attack him. Why would he risk his own life for such an act? For the best actor awards? It made no sense at all!

Lamir had long prepared for this moment. "The motive is… thanks to Vera's disappearance."

"What did you say?!" Leguna looked up suddenly. The black glint in his eyes surprised Lamir somewhat.

"Big Bro Leguna!" Innilis and Eirinn rushed to his side. Having spent much time with him, they knew that he would sometimes enter a terrifying state even though he had no ill intentions.

"I'm fine…" He calmed down and asked, "What's going on?"

"Vera disappeared a few months ago, probably around the time you were captured by Saron."

"She hasn't been found yet?" Leguna recalled that Kurdak averted his gaze that night the moment he mentioned Vera.

"That's right. There is definitely something more behind all this. I believe that Kurdak must've encountered some kind of trouble, so he wanted to cut off relations with you so as to not drag you into it."

"So you're saying he tried to kill me to save me?" Leguna looked like he had heard the funniest joke in the world. Was trying to kill someone the only way to save a person? What kind of twisted logic was that? Even so, he desperately hoped that this was the case.

"There won't be a point in me saying anything else." Lamir could no longer be bothered to explain it. He looked into Leguna's inky blue eyes and said, "Just go to see him with me. You'll find out the truth soon."

Leguna hesitated for a moment. Kurdak had been brought back to Melindor by Kevin for a few days now, but Leguna simply didn't want to meet him. He was afraid of him… afraid of what he thought of him.

But though he was fearful, Leguna wasn't so much of a coward he didn't dare to even try. He had told Balor the same thing. If he wanted anything, he had to work hard for it! Even if it meant getting battered and hurt or even if it amounted to nothing in the end, what was important was that he was brave enough to try!

And so, he stood up. To recoup his precious friendship, he decided to face the truth he had been avoiding. Even if it meant it would end in a bloodbath, it was something he had to accept and do no matter what!