Chapter 372: Chapter 372

Erin sighed and she did so without the slightest restraint. It was nothing for one to be upset about or troubled by. However, she was not alone. She was with friends but she was also with others who were far from friends or even acquaintances. Sitting across from her, on a sofa that was as opulent as the one she was sitting on, sat an Elf who seemed to be carrying all the dignity and honour of the Faerie race.

“I am Consul Xiolise, the chief ambassador for the Faerie-kin in Yorun Kingdom,” greeted the all-dignified Elf.

Erin could only smile uneasily in response. Despite the welcome greeting, she didn’t particularly feel welcomed.

It wasn’t just the consul. There were other Faerie-kin in the room, ones that Erin had never met before and all held positions of great importance, and all seemed to have negative opinions of Erin. It was a mystery to Erin to be hated and viewed so negatively by people she had never interacted with before. But considering the information network the Fae Embassy most likely possessed, they had probably made a judgment of her character based on the information at their disposal.

Still, that simply didn’t sit right with Erin. “What a bunch of prejudicial snobs,” she snarled inwardly.

It had been less than a day since Erin escaped Limbo, though it was already a new day. She had been briefed of the events that led up to this very moment. There were many surprising anecdotes but most surprising of all was the involvement of Azaela, the Scarlet Blade and the Grand Apostle of Ruva. No doubt it was her presence that forced the Fae Embassy to help. It might also be why the Embassy was even having a talk with her right here and now, Erin wagered.

The main purpose of this talk was to secure the release of Nivia, Lilian, and Aera. The latter’s release had been secured and she was currently sitting beside Erin, clinging onto her for dear life while glaring intensely at the Fae who had imprisoned her for a relatively long period. It was only a few days and she was unconscious for most of it, but it felt long to Aera even though she was only awoken on the moment of her release. She came close to causing a catastrophe and she would have if Aedan and Erin hadn’t acted fast in quelling her wrath.

Erin was a tad regretful in restraining Aera. She wondered how different the talk would have been if she had let Aera unleash a little bit of her wrath.

Aside from the three, there was another that Erin needed to rescue. There was Ruri, but as far as Erin was aware, the tiny, adorable creature was doing a good job of concealing its presence. Erin couldn’t help but be slightly envious of Ruri, who was currently hiding in Lilian’s bosom, the deep valley.

Erin felt a sting out of nowhere. It wasn’t a physical pain but something closer to mental. She raised her gaze slightly and found the source of the sting. It came from the intense glare of the Elf standing behind Consul Xiolise. Erin was briefly stupefied when she first saw the Elf, who looked awfully similar to Nivia. She even had the same glare as Nivia. One could even mistake the two for twins. But for Erin, who has seen Nivia’s face enough times, she wouldn’t make such a mistake. Considering the longevity of the Faerie-kin’s youthful appearances, Erin couldn’t tell if the Fae was Nivia’s sister or her parent.

“The good lady behind me is Luvia,” Xiolise introduced, having noticed Erin’s gaze. “As you may have already guessed, she is Nivia’s sister and she’s also the head of the Embassy Guards. With that said, I have been looking forward to meeting you in person, Erynthea.”

“I’m sure you have,” Erin retorted dryly. She didn’t have half the warmth Xiolise was exuding.

“I beg your pardon, Erynthea.”

“Allow me to rephrase, then. I sincerely doubt your eagerness to have this in-person meeting with me. If you truly have been looking forward to this, we wouldn’t be having this talk in this place.”

Xiolise’s smile faded off, revealing a frown that was tinged with displeasure. “Are you aware of who you’re speaking to? Do you know what a consul is?”

“Why does it matter? Does your identity grant you the privilege of being untruthful without consequences?”

Nearly everyone in the room flinched at Erin’s words. The consul of an embassy was the proxy of the embassy’s respective king or ruler. To insult the consul was akin to insulting the Fae Queen herself.

“Nivia, you made an interesting friend,” Xiolise said. She had a smile but the smile didn’t extend to her eyes.

Nivia nodded but without her usual thorny remark or any of her attitude.

There were many words hanging on the tip of Nivia’s tongue. However, she couldn’t find the effort or the will to let those words out of her lips. It was a delicate state of affairs. She was even seated just beside Xiolise. One wrong word or move, and things would go awry. She was not the best with words. Usually, she couldn’t care less about that, but not this time. She had to watch her tongue or she would forever lose her voice amongst her tribe.

Nivia glanced at her aunt and then at her companions, who were all sitting or standing across and in front of her. Their faces spelt their understanding of the moment’s delicacy. She inwardly applauded Amyra for holding her tongue. As Nivia continued to sweep her companions’ faces with her gaze, she spotted a stranger, or at least she thought it was a stranger. The woman was familiar but she couldn’t quite put a finger on it. The woman had red hair and she wore tight-fitting armour that accentuated her slim body shape perfectly. This strange woman was standing some distance away from her companions but it was clear that she was on their side.

On Erin’s left, there was Aedan, who looked entirely uninterested in the whole situation. It was very much expected of him.

“She’s more than just a friend, Aunt Xiolise,” Lilian chimed in with a smile.

Xiolise scowled. “Lilian. Speak only when spoken to and when I allow you to. And it’s Consul Xiolise to you.”

Lilian shrugged, showing no remorse in her slip of tongue.

“See what you have done?” Xiolise said. Her frown had turned into a glare, aimed at Erin.

“And what have I done?”

“You have poisoned their minds.”

Erin rolled her eyes.

There was no change in Azaela’s expression.

Aera was openly snarling at Xiolise like a beast. Erin was tempted to sic her on the Fae.

Aedan shifted his seating position and also his indifference. He scoffed.

“Was something funny about my words, Your Eminence?

Aedan sighed. “Not your words, but… this entire performance.”

“Performance? You think this is a farce?”

“You know why we’re here and we already know your answer to our purpose. It’s a stalemate. So, why don’t we just skip straight to the part where we both compromise instead of continuing this useless spar of words?”

“We have compromised enough. We helped your friend here escape Limbo.”

“And what exactly did it cost you in helping us? A mere few hours of your time?”

“A laggard like you would not understand the importance of one’s time. But you are right about one thing. We are at a stalemate. Nivia and Lilian will remain with us, where they are safe from harm.”

“At the expense of their freedom,” Erin shot.

“You are overexaggerating the negatives of their circumstances. They are not captives. As long as they remained within the embassy, they would have the most luxurious treatment that even the human nobles would be envious of. Furthermore, this is for their own good. Tell me, Erynthea, are you aware of the evil that is silently plaguing the city?”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “Are you trying to be funny here? Or have you genuinely forgotten how I had just escaped from becoming collateral?”

“That is a no. You are not aware of this silent plague that is deeply rooted in this city. You have barely scratched the surface.”

“Then, please, do enlighten us.”

“The Saintess isn’t the only target. Or rather, she was one of many. Whoever the culprit is, they have set their sights on highborn children. No noble children have been abducted yet, but the same couldn’t be said for illegitimate children of nobles. So many of them had gone missing but the kingdom made no fuss about them.”

Azaela stirred in her seat. “Illegitimate children?”

“Yes.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NoveIＦire.net

“How certain are you?”

“... I see. So, that’s what it is.”

“I’m not following. Mind filling me in?” Erin asked.

“It pains me to say this but people go missing all the time, especially in a city as large as the capital.”

“How surprising,” Aedan muttered in passing.

Azaela continued without giving a reaction to Aedan’s remark. “Of all people, children are the ones who go missing the most. It’s a grave concern but it has become all too common for anyone to be awfully surprised about. However, recently, I received news that the number of missing children has increased exponentially in this very city.” Azaela turned her attention to Xiolise. “What makes you think there’s a connection between the missing children and the attempted abduction of the Saintess?”

“Our spies have found the corpses of these missing illegitimate children.”

Azaela frowned. “And why aren’t we made aware of this already?”

“Because not long after our spies made this discovery, all the evidence was disposed of. We couldn’t just tell anyone about this after that. We will look like a bunch of loonies if we do. And the consequences would be grave if we made accusations without proof.”

“...How was the evidence disposed of?”

“The actual method is unknown but we detect energy that is quite similar to that leaked out of Limbo. But of course, we have no proof, as everything has been well taken care of. But your belief is none of our concern. Our priority is to protect our own.”

“So, you are just going to keep them locked in this compound for who knows how long?” Erin questioned.

“Until the culprit is found and dealt with. But don’t worry, our own people are already onto the culprit’s scent.”

“You think your people are enough?”

“The amount of personnel on a task does not dictate the efficiency of said task’s completion rate.”

“I’m not talking about the quantity.”

“I concur with Lady Erin’s implication,” said Azaela. “You have no right keeping all this information to your own circle when the entire city is at stake.”

“It’s not about having the right. It’s about making a sensible decision. Tell me, Lady Azaela, do you think I should reveal my findings to the public? To the kingdom?”

“See, you know why I don’t feel inclined to share. We all know who is the likeliest culprit here.”

“The dear friend of the crowned prince.” Xiolise smiled wryly. “You could have made a lot of noise if your Saintess was still missing but alas, she’s safe and sound now. You lost the opportunity.”

“That was no opportunity. We don’t trade lives.”

“Lives are currently being traded now as we speak. Your Saintess’ life for the missing children. If Marsh had the Saintess, he wouldn’t have needed the other children.”

“What makes you so sure about that?”

“It’s an inference from our findings. Regardless, this discussion is over. Until the evil is purged, Nivia and Lilian will remain within the embassy.”

“Then, let us help,” Erin said. “The sooner we finish this, the sooner I can see to their freedom.”

Xiolise sighed. “I do not know you, Erynthea, or your companions. I know Lady Azaela. I trust her but the same couldn’t be said for her peers. The corruption has spread everywhere, even to places that I didn’t think possible. I’m sorry but I can’t risk it. As I said, this discussion is over.”