Move Forward [2]

The woman stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Arthanis. She moved with a quiet grace, her feet barely making a sound on the wooden floor. Arthanis could sense a powerful energy emanating from her, a force that seemed to fill the room with a palpable sense of magic.

"Sedita, what did you find out?" Valeria asked, turning to the woman.

"Everything he said is true." Sedita said, walking into the room. She had a calm and confident demeanor, but her azure eyes sparkled within that flat face. She looked at Arthanis as if he were a fascinating puzzle to solve.

"Even the part about his memory loss?" Zenhard questioned, frowning in doubt.

"Yes, he really doesn't remember." Sedita confirmed, nodding. She tapped her temple with her finger, and said, "I scanned his mind, and there's no trace of any memory manipulation or suppression. He's telling the truth, as far as he knows it."

Arthanis felt a surge of defensiveness. He didn't like the idea of someone poking around in his thoughts, even if they meant well. "Why would I lie to you?" he asked, his tone irritated.

"You said your name was Arthanis, right?" Sedita said, ignoring his question. She pointed at his left arm, and said, "Then tell me, Arthanis. How do you explain that mark on your left arm?"

"Mark?" Arthanis said, confused. He moved his left hand and saw the mark of a sword with hanging chains. It was a dark and ominous symbol, that contrasted with his pale skin. He felt a chill run down his spine, as he stared at it. "What is this?"

"It's a mark for those who have killed an apostle. Specifically for your mark, that is the mark of the one who has managed to kill an apostle of the god of war." Sedita said, her voice grave.

Arthanis's eyes widened in shock, and he stumbled backward, the mark on his arm glowing a malevolent red. "How... how is this possible?" he stammered, his mind reeling.

"That's what we're also confused about." Sedita said, shaking her head. She looked at him with a mix of awe and pity, and said, "I can sense your essence and stage right now. They don't match up. It's hard to believe that a lowest stage pathwalker could ever defeat an apostle, especially one serving the god of war. And from your reaction, it seems you don't know about any of this. To be honest, you seem like someone who has been thrown into a strange new world without any guidance or knowledge, like a lost and mindless slave suddenly set free from everything that chained."

With that, Sedita turned and left the room, leaving Arthanis to process the flood of new information.

"Did she really just come in, ask a question that interested her, compare me to a slave, and then leave so quickly?" he wondered in disbelief, his mind struggling to make sense of everything.

"Ah, don't take it personally," Valeria said with a warm smile, offering a pendant to Arthanis. "That's just how she is. We found this in your hand, it must hold some significance."

"Thank you," Arthanis replied, taking the pendant. "But don't assume I'll forgive her simply because you distracted me."

Valeria chuckled, her laughter like a gentle breeze. "We'll leave you to rest now. There's a simple meal on the table for when you're hungry. Come along, Zenhard."

"Wait, but I still have so many questions for hi-" Zenhard's protest was cut short as Valeria playfully dragged him out of the room using an ethereal thread that appeared from her hand.

"Get some rest, and we'll be outside assessing the situation."

As Valeria and Zenhard left the room, a polar bear stood outside the house, gazing at the ruined village and dozens of mangled corpses.

"Truly madness," he muttered to himself, his breath forming misty clouds in the cold air.

He heard the sound of a door opening behind him.

"Sedita, how did it go with the survivor?"

"Biroz, I know you could hear everything he said from here." Sedita replied.

Biroz's brow furrowed in skepticism, his voice heavy with disbelief. "You expect me to believe all of that? He claims he was manipulated by a devil, that a civil war erupted in the forest, and that the same devil controlled him to shatter the divine contract protecting the forest. And if that wasn't enough, the devil went on a rampage, massacring the village and kidnapping two girls. And then, an apostle came to execute him but ended up dead by some unknown means. Do you really think he's innocent? Or is he part of some dark scheme or heresy?"

Sedita's eyes narrowed, her tone defensive. "I know what I sensed. He had no trace of miasma or malice, unlike the rest of this place. He was telling the truth, as far as I could tell. Or are you doubting my skills, Biroz?"

"No, I would never do that. I trust your abilities as much as you love pancakes. But regarding the old man..."

"Vaendalle Excalin, the former commander of Ridom's army. He was banished by the king, then chased his wife's murderer to the west, only to be reported dead in combat."

Biroz nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Valeria examined the pendant and informed me of its unique classification. It seems it played a role in his survival."

"Indeed. So, now it seems Vaendalle live here, hiding away from his past until he sacrificed himself for Arthanis and managed to weaken the apostle. But the question remains, how could Arthanis have killed the weakened apostle while he himself was blacked out? Was it the devil's work again?"

"We may never know for sure. Let's not question his luck too much."

Sedita's gaze swept over the devastated village. "Now that we've established that, what do we do about this place? We still have our own mission to complete. We can't stay here for long."

Biroz glanced towards the bald and scorched forest nearby. "We need to rest and recover. Besides, I know you're curious about this place. There's a puzzle here, waiting to be solved."

"Curious? This place is a nightmare. It reeks of death and despair. I'd rather burn it to the ground and leave."

Biroz shook his head. "No, that would be disrespectful to Arthanis. He is the sole survivor of this village. We should consult with him before taking any action. For now, why don't you join the others and look for clues?"

Sedita nodded, curiosity flashing in her eyes. "Fine. I'll do that. But I still want to know which of the seven apostles he killed…"

"Six," Biroz corrected her. "There were six of them." 

A frown tugged at Sedita's lips, a sense of unease creeping in. "That's odd... it feels like something is missing."

Biroz shrugged. "Maybe we can uncover more clues about the situation as we explore the area. By the way, Sedita, how much longer do you plan to maintain that form?"

Sedita's expression remained flat, her voice cold. "What's wrong with it? Do you have a problem with my appearance?"

Biroz's hands shot up in surrender. "No, no. Not at all. I was just wondering. Your magic was amazing, by the way. You truly deserve to be called as Prodigy of magic."

Sedita's gaze sharpened. "Don't call me that, or I'll turn you into a goblin."

"My bad. Please don't."

Meanwhile, Inside the room.

[Mire has completed the evaluation of master new information.]

Arthanis was deep in thought. 'I was wrong about the next one being a beast humanoid; it was actually the last one. There's something about these people that makes me think I should befriend them rather than make them my enemies. But that can wait for now. Something more pressing has come up. I just evolved, which means I must have acquired new skills! Now, Mire, status.'