Silas approached Eurus. "How do you recognize this smell?"
"Mother!" Eurus gasped in fear. He wanted to say more - but as though an invisible grip had closed around his throat, the words refused to come.
"Smell same! When they took her away…!"
Zerath blinked. "You mean someone subdued her with that scent?"
He nodded hard and breathed uneasily, the memory of that day rushing back to him.
After hiding Eurus in the cave, his mother had left with a promise of her return. He had waited for sometime but unease crept sooner than he thought. He lifted the cave's entrance just enough to peek outside.
That was when he saw her - his mother, struggling against a group of masked figures. She was on her knees, weak and gasping for air.
Mo…Mother…
A strange set of shackles locked her wrists. The more time passed, the paler she looked, yet she continued to resist.
"You won't achieve anything by doing this!" She said, gathering every bit of her strength. "The Blessed could never be fabricated like this…!"
Those were the last words Eurus heard from her. He wanted to leap out and scream, to do anything to stop those barbarians from taking his mother away. But she had quietly signaled him to stay still. Though her back faced him, it was as though she could still feel him watching.
Eurus trembled. Whatever the demons did next, he couldn't see it clearly, but a strange scent had reached his nostrils.
After that, every last trace of resistance left her. Her body tilted to one side, limp.
Mo-Mother…?
A strange dizziness had washed over his senses too, and he collapsed back into the cave. Hours later, he woke up with a pounding headache and remembered.
This time, he opened the cave and stepped out without thinking. But the landscape before lay empty. The barbarians were gone and so was his mother. He frantically looked all around, but couldn't find her anywhere.
Mother…?
'I'll come back for you, I promise, Eurus. Will you be a good son and wait for me?'
Tears rolled down his cheeks. Though the evening sun shone warmly, his body felt cold as though he was freezing over from within.
"Eurus!"
He snapped back, a jerk on his shoulder breaking his trance.
"Eurus, tell me. The scent. Is it the same as when your mother was taken?
His eyes brimmed with tears, recalling that nightmare. He nodded once, slowly.
Silas went silent for a long moment. "I had that checklist of some items being brought from the black market. Shackles, chains, potions. This vial was one of them and…"
Zerath's eyes squinted.
"It's probably the same potion used to abduct the demons."
"How are you so sure?"
"There has been another disappearance."
"What?" He jumped on his feet, stunned. "But I didn't get any such report. Drak was the last one."
"You won't receive a report for months. It'd be quite late when the family would realize something is wrong. But I picked up on some whispers of someone vanishing in Okham."
"And…?"
"It was very faint, but a strange scent, nevertheless, lingered in the air. In an alleyway near a bar. It was this same potion. That demon was probably taken away from that place."
The same potion used to subdue Eurus's mother is being used to take demons too?
Suddenly, the lilybell flower's words came hammering back.
'Your past troubles and present are the same! It's not separate, it's one!'
He stared ahead into the empty space.
Is this what the lilybell meant? The people behind Eurus's mother's and the demons' disappearances...are the same?
—
Emberlain.
Vivia had made up her mind. It had been days since she was locked up within the palace walls, and she had endured more than enough.
I need to find a way out and go back to Audreya's house where she disappeared from!
"Princess?" A calm voice called out.
"Yes!" Her attention snapped back to Father Iorick, who had been visiting the royal palace to help continue her studies.
He smiled warmly. "Where did you drift off to, my lady? Perhaps…another escape plan?"
Vivia cleared her throat. "Of course not, Father. I've been put under house arrest. I don't think about going outside."
"It's precisely when one's locked in a cage that one truly desires freedom. I can sense the restlessness in you, but worry not. I believe His Majesty will soon lift your punishment."
That brought a wry smile on her lips. "That's impossible unless I apologize."
"And Princess won't offer a fake apology to lift the ban?"
"...Are you sure you should be really suggesting that as the Covenant's Father?" she coughed.
"Your heart sets you on the right or wrong path regardless of what I say. It all comes down to one's principles."
Could one of your principles be to end this study session today?
She stared at the piles of scrolls and texts and cried inwardly. Clairette's part of life and interests did hold a deep importance to Vivia - including these studies.
But the ancient poetries and languages from centuries ago made her head spin with dizziness. She could read them because Clairette could - but as Vivia, her comprehension only went so far. Currently, her focus was on a piece of historical text called 'The Primal Verse.' It explored the origins of the human and demon realms and how balance was the core principle behind their existence.
"Demons channel the mana from within themselves. Their magic is quite instinctive and personal, which is also why it's strongly linked to their internal state of mind. It's often referred to as Yin. For them, Yin governs the Sun and Moon."
Vivia thought back. Whether it was Eurus's ice plunging Nethermoor into eternal winter or Astaroth, whose flames could grow deadlier by the state of his fury - regulating emotions was a core principle for demons to use their magic.
"Whereas seasons form the foundation of Human Realm magic. Unlike demons, we cannot channel the mana from within, so we rely on outside tools like magic-imbued tools or alchemy. This is referred to as Yang and for us, Yang governs the four seasons."
"The Yin and Yang always complement each other. Neither is complete without the other, and there's always a state of interdependence and balance in nature. That is why the existence of the Blessed in each realm holds such importance. It's the equilibrium of these natural powers they must adhere to that allows the peace to continue," Father Iorick nodded.
How could people who hurt others be blessed with such powers? Vivia found it genuinely difficult to picture Priscilla and Astaroth in roles of such cosmic significance.
She couldn't help but ask, "What if the wrong people receive the divine blessings?"
He smiled. "Aren't we already living with the consequences of that? The war of five centuries ago. If Rudaheim's Blessed hadn't misused their lunar powers to poison our water, and we hadn't manipulated their seasons to devastate their land, we would never have lost resources so vital to our living."
He continued. "The offense was so severe it angered the Gods because the world had come to the brink of collapse. God took back a portion of their powers. Despite being the Harbinger of Seasons, our Blessed cannot summon rains to the degree that would solve our water crisis. Nor could their Blessed use their celestial powers to restore their soil's fertility. This is what happens when nature's balance is distorted beyond repair," he sighed.
"I'd rather not have such powers than carry such a huge responsibility."
Father Iorick closed the book. "Not everyone feels that way, Princess. Complete command over nature's forces - can you imagine how intoxicating that would sound? Power has always been a very tempting proposition."
He then smiled. "This lesson is now complete. How far have you gotten in documenting the Covenant's history?"
Ugh…
Vivia was supposed to be mapping out the past priests of the Covenant and studying their contributions to Emberlain's cultural life, but the further back she went in the records, the harder it became.
I fell asleep halfway through…
He chuckled. "It's alright, Princess. I'm genuinely pleased to see you, how to put it…relaxed? You were always a diligent student but at the cost of your own rest. I admire your passionate dedication, but you should be at ease too."
"Yes, Father!"
Her gaze drifted to the ring, which glowed faintly, as if pleased by his concern. Once Father Iorick left, Vivia collapsed onto her bed, exhausted. A knock came at the door. Erissa, most likely, bringing snacks for her.
"I'm fine for now, Erissa. I'm a little tired, so I want to rest."
She exhaled and closed her eyes, her mind running back and forth to find a way out of her predicament. Suddenly - a twitch ran through her veins, and her eyes opened, catching a wrist that was already reaching for her throat.
"Who are-"
Vivia was stunned to see a face she had least expected to. "Lady Judith…?"
"As expected, the princess of now mustn't be trifled with. And here I thought I had slipped in perfectly," Judith smiled, merry and amused.
To Vivia, it had been nothing less than perfect. She hadn't heard her enter nor sensed her presence at all until her hands were already at her throat. But what perplexed her, however, was Judith's attire.
"Why are you dressed in a maid's uniform?"
"Long story," she shrugged. "Let's just say I've arrived as your knight in shining armor - or should I say a maid in shining armor?" She tilted her head.
"Excuse me?"
Judith shook her hand free from her grip and leaned back. "Don't worry, Princess. I don't like this as much as you do, but I'm doing it because I'm a generous person."
Vivia stood to face her. "Do what?"
She raised a brow. "Giving you your freedom. You want to look into that red-haired woman, don't you? That's why I'm here. I'm going to take the princess away from this palace prison~"