Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 251: Protectors of the Empire

Chapter 251: Protectors of the Empire

Silence reigned for a moment after Alex’s request with Arthur slowly turning to regard him.

"Did I..." Alex started only to be cut off by Arthur.

"Why do you want to know about Aragon?"

"... Is it important to share?"

Arthur replied. "I may joke around with a lot of things but don’t think I’d do the same for my motherland. Now speak."

Realizing the matter was sensitive, Alex couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

"I’m looking for the Branches of the Absolute. I have a lead that says one of them might be in Aragon."

Arthur glanced at Alex, noting his facial expressions before he spoke up. "It’s not there. Don’t waste your time."

"Do you know where it is?"

"How would I know?" Arthur shot back.

Alex frowned. "Did I hit a sore spot?"

"Tch, it’s not you, it’s just... everything about Aragon reminds me of my past." Arthur seemed pained as he spoke, his breathing heavy as the air about him seemed to heat up.

Ignoring the heat, Alex reached out and placed his hand on Arthur’s shoulder. "You shouldn’t let your emotions run so freely. Calm yourself."

"..." Closing his eyes, Arthur took in a deep breath before opening them again.

"Thank you." He muttered under his breath as he noticed Ana’s gaze on him at some point.

She didn’t seem quite happy with the sudden surge of ripples in the aether but due to Alex’s previous order was unable to do anything but watch.

Alex said. "No need to thank me. I was the one that reminded you of the past."

Taking a moment to ensure Arthur was calm, he continued. "Tell me, Douglas revealed that you wished for him to do something in Aragon. Based on your reaction, I guess it has to deal with revenge. What happened, Arthur?... Were you betrayed or cheated by someone?... Did you lose your family?"

Alex’s last question seemed to strike home as Arthur trembled while clenching his fist to restrain his anger.

Seconds passed before Arthur let out a sigh. "You are both wrong and right."

"How so?"

"I wasn’t betrayed or cheated. No matter what, no child of Mother Nature would stoop so low. But yes, I did lose my family... not because of others but as a result of my negligence and indulgence. I paid the price for turning a blind eye as I watched my son go down the wrong path." Arthur’s eyes seemed to turn wet for a moment but he closed them quickly, restraining any liquid threatening to flow out.

Alex remained silent, his expression complicated as he sought to understand the full picture Arthur was trying to paint.

It didn’t take long before Arthur spoke up again, his voice slightly hoarse. "I will tell you what you wish to know about Aragon but... you must help me complete the mission I would have given to Douglas."

"Go ahead and tell me."

"Help me recover the remains of my wife and child, that is all I ask."

Removing his hand from Arthur’s shoulder, Alex inquired. "Why don’t you do this yourself?... You could come along with us..."

"No." Arthur shook his head. "A BeastMan banished can no longer return to the land of his people. I must atone for my sins against my people."

"... I understand. I’ll accept your request."

"Thank you." Arthur seemed infinitely aged at that moment, his boisterous demeanor gone, replaced with the regrets of an age long passed.

"You did so much for me. It’s only right I pay back."

Letting out a helpless sigh, Arthur began. "The Ashtyx... it’s no longer in Thebes as was once known by the elite of Ra’as."

"So it was there at a time?"

"Indeed. But ever since the disappearance, no one dared to investigate too deeply for fear of the phenomenon being tied to the Branch. Of course, after a while, probably during the early years of the Empire’s birth, Ashtyx went missing. My people would know because, at that time, we thought it best to watch over it considering its proximity to our territory."

"So there are no leads on its current whereabouts?"

"Not necessarily," Arthur replied as he pondered momentarily. "A group, claiming themselves to be protectors of the Empire, approached my ancestors and asked them to carry out a certain task."

"What task?" Alex probed.

Shaking his head, Arthur continued. "It was a most gruesome one that involved the deaths of 50,000 people within the range of a month."

"This..." Alex was stunned for a moment as Arthur sighed.

"Indeed. And it wasn’t a one-time thing, instead, it was something that we had to do every 10 years, turning it into something of a tradition for Aragon."

Sucking in cold air, Alex inquired. "Are your people that bloodthirsty?... Also, why did this... ritual have to be carried out intermittently?"

"Aragon is a noble nation subservient to the rule of Mother Nature. We would never suffer the land of our forefathers by staining it with the blood of the innocent."

"But..."

"But we had no choice. At that time, we were still recovering from the Dark Ages, and the Great Families, who were the most powerful group on the continent at that time, were backing the mysterious group for reasons unknown."

Alex couldn’t help but frown as he heard the Great Families being mentioned in such a dastardly affair.

Already, the truth about the identity of Homunculi and the Philosopher Stone had left him wary of the true nature of the Great Families, and now this... just what was their endgame or rather, their driving force?

Unfortunately, he had little knowledge of the Families to make any reasonable guesses.

Meanwhile, Arthur continued. "Regardless, my people have carried on the task for over a thousand years, and as for why it was carried out intermittently, it’s because those killed... somehow always found a way to come back."

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Those that were killed would always return and then, we’d have to kill them again."

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