Chapter 423: The Uncorrupted Yet (1/2)

”Tell me what happened,” Arthur said as he leaned back in his chair. Kaza was silent before he nodded. It was a short story, but it ended up revealing the monstrosity of the kid named Veran.

Someone discarded Veran at an orphanage in Kaza's family estate. Being of the same age, the two boys began to play together, with Veran being Kaza's follower.

One day, they met a group of bandits who found out they could get a ransom for Kaza's life. It was in that moment of despair that dark energy overtook Veran, and the massacre happened.

”My Lord,” Kaza held the handle with a pale face. ”He is not a monster, nor is he possessed. However, his ability is an unstable one. There is no way that he is a bad person.”

”I know that his character has nothing to do with what happened,” Arthur smiled as he leaned forward. ”I had a suspicion of my own, but I guess that I'll need to ask him myself.”

Kaza nodded, and Arthur decided to appoint him as a knight as well. It seems even if they were friends, Kaza could tell right from wrong. Even without Arthur saying anything, he was capable of making sound judgments.

After that, Arthur allowed Veran to enter. The knight took a shower to remove the scent of sewage from his body, but Arthur would have been fine with it either way.

”My Lord,” Veran was nervous. ”I want to ask you something.”

”The reason I picked you rather than Kaza or the others?” Arthur asked, and the knight nodded. ”You are interesting, and a few questions will confirm my suspicions.”

”What questions?” Veran was confused as he tried to tidy his messy hair. Arthur could tell that his attitude has shifted after learning of his social standing, and that was the norm, it seems.

”Do you hear voices?”

The question startled the knight, and he seemed to glance toward a corner of the room. His eyes darted between Arthur and the dark corner as if something was talking to him, shifting his attention.

'The first fallen human I meet in Alka,' Arthur realized. 'And the first human ever to use the powers of the Enders without being corrupted.'

Arthur knew that the Beings of Nothingness promised power and made use of despair. However, it seems that this knight found a way to exploit the negative emotions around him and turn them into power.

That was, in a way, a terrifying ability. Nevertheless, this knight can become the savior in moments of despair and the last card that can change the course of a battle.

'His fate is to suffer,' Arthur looked at the knight sadly. However, it was risky to keep such a person close to him, the bane of nothingness.

”I... don't know what you are...”

”There is no need to lie to me, Veran,” Arthur stood up from his seat and walked toward the man, who backed away against the chair. ”I am the only person who knows what you are going through, and I can promise you salvation.”

”What salvation?”

”I can offer you sleep,” Arthur stopped walking as he raised his hand, and the mana of creation filled the room. Veran turned toward the corner before turning back to Arthur with shock. ”I can make the voices stop.”

”I...” the knight seemed to realize that Arthur wasn't there to harm him but still hesitated. ”Without their power, I can do nothing. I will die in this world. I can sacrifice sleep and rest for that.”

As if a switch was flipped after the mana stopped the voices, Veran began to speak more easily. Arthur understood his point of view, and he was in no way trying to take that away.

”I want you to use that power, don't worry. But I also need you to be my source of information about the enders. Tell me what they say and do, and tell me everything about their power.”

This knight was the perfect chance to learn more about those beings and what they seek. Arthur didn't know why he hadn't fallen to them yet, but he wanted to understand how.

'His story is like that of novels,' Arthur realized as he stared at the pondering knight. 'An orphan who harnessed the darkest of powers to aid him, either a tragedy or a heroic tale. Maybe both.'

”Sir,” the knight started as he looked at his hands. ”I'm afraid you are asking of the impossible. I'm trying not to lose myself every waking hour because the voices pull me into doing all kinds of things. If I try to get too close to them, I'll lose myself.”