Chapter 119: Cannibalism
Hiwcel also saw through Selena's intention, but he remained calm.
"Think whatever you want, but I will not participate or follow you."
Selena seemed quite impatient, also harvested nothing, only being refused answers. She turned to leave, but did not forget to glance at both siblings at the same time. She also intended to have people follow both so she wasn't too worried. In her heart she was determined not to let these two siblings go anywhere, even if they didn't help her, she still needed control.
…
In other cities, information was also spreading very rapidly. Residents were discussing animatedly, but because they were outsiders, most were smiling smugly and wanting to watch both sides fight.
A fairly normal man walked toward a citadel. He went to the market, went to the tavern, went to tell stories to many people. The common point was the same story and the main story was the current situation of the two cities Tharros and Roam.
But he only told a bit, saying nothing about the merchants when passing through Roam City, then reaching Tharros City and Tharros City having to confront monsters. It seemed this was Varlen's person going to spread bad rumors.
…
At Tharros City, there were several individuals secretly in the alleys, they provided some sticks and swords to the common residents who were protesting wanting Tharros to concede for peace. When they held those weapons, this would be the time they felt confident and could act more recklessly. This led to a large riot.
"Stop recruiting soldiers immediately, if anything happens to my son how can you compensate?"
"Must have peace, we only fight for the country. We will not fight for some disputes of cities."
The noise was boisterous, the crowd packed the road and roared like a rising tide.
Soldiers were forced to erect boundaries to stop them, transparent film layers which were boundaries were surrounding an entire headquarters of the soldiers.
…
But there were other places even worse.
A battle took place, one faction wanting peace, one faction not conceding and wanting to fight. The sound of metal rang "clang clang." Sounds of screaming and cursing, the sound of swords stabbing, slashing into flesh, the sound of blood flowing "trickle trickle" into puddles, trampling on each other.
Soldiers, some individuals were in the sky and trying to prevent it. Some rode birds, some rode giant bats.
Overall, the situation was extremely tense.
…
Toward the group, they were sitting at the table with a plate of peanuts and sugar candies. Kazuka and Takeshi lay stretched out on the table eating peanuts because their mouths were bored.
Ayaka sighed, outside was very noisy making her extremely uncomfortable.
"Truly boring, what is this matter? What's wrong with them?"
"Because of them we cannot go to work. I don't like it if the schedule is delayed."
Aoto sat outside and leaned his back against Takeshi's back who was turning his back and lying on the table. Expression a bit bored and helpless.
"Don't know, these past few days going to work I didn't know what was what anymore."
Airi rolled a small sugar candy in her mouth and let out a "smack" as if taking a bit of sweetness from the candy.
"No one knows anything? And didn't expect we would all have time off together."
Elyssia added in: "Maybe the whole city is."
Takeshi sat up straight and let out a yawn.
"Surely the residents are protesting something of the city, could be a new law proposed but everyone doesn't support and went out to protest like that."
Kazuka still lay on the table tiredly and said:
"But such a large number must be a very big problem."
Takeshi let out a sigh: "Certainly."
Aoto was leaning his back against Takeshi. Suddenly Takeshi shoved his back making Aoto pay attention:
"Hey Aoto, you try going to ask the shop owner what's happening? Sitting idle is too boring."
Aoto stood up and stretched, then let out a very long yawn and went.
"Um."
Going to the counter, the shop owner had handed the shop to a shop guard, he was dozing off on the table as usual.
Aoto called out loudly: "Hey? Wake up?"
The shop guard was startled awake, face bewildered looking at Aoto.
"What's the matter?"
Aoto: "What's happening outside? Tell me."
The shop guard took his hand to rub his eyes and nodded.
"I know."
From behind Aoto, the whole group walked over also quite curious.
The shop guard drank up a cup of water refreshingly and said:
"The story is like this."
"Several days ago, the battle of Miss Mythyr with some brat, I didn't go watch so I don't know."
"But Mythyr lost and that brat won. Afterward suddenly news of the two children of Viscount Varlen being kidnapped, that is a city quite near us called Roam."
"Afterward information spread, and the fact that Mythyr lost actually was not to resolve the problem or anything. But that actually was the selection of the Ravencourt family to find the next city guardian."
"Afterward Viscount Varlen's side sent a letter to our city's side. Demanding the return of children, and they accused Ravencourt side of having kidnapped their children for the purpose of revenge because these two cities have inherently been in conflict for a long time."
"Residents went to the streets to protest like that because the other side threatened if the children are not returned there will be war between the two cities. And they don't want war so there is that scene."
After a while of telling more… The six people at this time were quite bewildered, five pairs of eyes looking at Kazuka.
Kazuka saw everyone's gaze also stepped back waving his hands.
"What?"
Elyssia seemed to understand, she spoke cutting across the shop guard who was about to speak:
"Seems the other city side has assumed Kazuka now is the new city guardian and like he has been prepared to retaliate."
Airi turned to the shop guard.
"So do you know what the names of Viscount Varlen's two children are?"
The shop guard was silent thinking for a while, then as if remembering.
"Seems to be Hiwcel and Nara."
The whole group opened their eyes wide in bewilderment. Aoto turned around and stepped up the stairs, not forgetting to say back:
"Let's go."
Takeshi turned to the shop guard.
"Thanks."
All six people went up to the floor above, expressions seemingly quite tense. They knew that this matter was also partly related.
Pushing the door of room number seven open. Inside Nara was sitting reading a book, Hiwcel was placing a chair in front of the window seemingly pensive, gaze far away as if looking toward his future.
Suddenly seeing the noise, both siblings turned back and paid attention.
Nara was curious why they had come to find both of them for what.
"Huh? Do you guys have something?"
Hiwcel turned back, he seemed also to have guessed the whole group already knew about his identity, also couldn't hide it. He let out a laugh, voice calm:
"Everyone? Surely you all know already."
The whole group entered, each person stood in a corner, expressions quite serious. Hiwcel also saw the expression the whole group was displaying, like a pressure from the majority.
Kazuka with eyes pinned tightly on Hiwcel and narrowing slightly, voice deepening:
"If you know already then speak of your next intentions. We are being caught in trouble, know your place."
Seems Kazuka was gradually having sharper words than before, no longer naive. He himself understood the group's situation, he had also absorbed types of information faster already.
Nara tossed the blanket aside and stood up, unable to sit on the bed and talk to others in a disrespectful way, unless sick, it seemed deeply ingrained inside her, she bowed her head shyly and entrusted it to her brother.
Hiwcel smiled, gaze dropping.
"I will not return, I will go to another place."
The whole group entrusted Kazuka to interrogate, only remaining silent and observing, unless Kazuka was confused and they had an answer then they would speak, as if a long-term plot.
Kazuka frowned, glanced at Nara who was bowing her head, then glanced back toward Hiwcel, gaze as if telling Hiwcel, this is not a simple problem.
"Explain, I don't like just speaking halfway then waiting for me to react."
He knew the tense situation so was also quite impatient.
Hiwcel smiled lightly, a very heavy smile. He didn't want to tell one more time, but also had to tell, they were the ones who had saved both of them after all.
A voice full of coldness, as if it was deep-seated when pushed down deep by him, but now dug up.
"Have you ever eaten human flesh?"
The whole group opened their eyes wide in astonishment and bewilderment, they felt like their ears had a problem and heard wrong.
Kazuka stopped being shocked not wanting to be distracted from the main issue, frowned in discomfort and said somewhat loudly:
"Tell the whole thing."
Hiwcel gripped his hand, he glanced at the expressions of all six people. His hand gripped tightly, voice even deeper:
"On a normal day, I went into the forest to play. But unexpectedly my father had someone call me to return."
"On the way to the dining room, I met my younger sister going along."
Nara bowed her head low, two hands gripped tightly, her body shaking in every surge of emotion, accumulated tears were gradually falling to the wooden floor.
Hiwcel continued telling, voice lowering further:
"Sitting at the dining table there were two plates of meat cooked very eye-catchingly in front of both of us."
The six people at this time were quite bewildered, they were also vaguely seeing what the next situation would be.
"My father sat down and told us to eat, that it was rare meat."
Moving to the scene Hiwcel was telling:
Hiwcel and Nara were sitting next to each other and opposite Varlen who was sitting watching them eat. The atmosphere was full of the aroma of meat, the light was dazzling because it had just passed noon.
Both ate, they felt very normal. Knife strokes cutting down on large pieces of meat with red and a bit of black, times of stabbing the fork down and bringing meat into the mouth, both ate in an enjoying way.
Varlen also ate, he ate big pieces. Each time chewing was like being satisfied from taste to smell, satisfying him entirely, he enjoyed it deliciously. In just two large bites he had finished the piece of meat, he sat and waited for Hiwcel and Nara to finish eating.
At this time both siblings had finished eating. Hiwcel took a white paper nearby in a small wooden box, seemingly to wipe his mouth, he gave it to Nara and took one for himself. Wiping his mouth very clean, he was like having finished swallowing the last piece.