Solar Mage

Chapter 67: Terminus

"W-what are you doing here– no, why am I here?"

I say, feeling my body temperature start to rise, as my heart begins to get faster.

What the hell are you doing Arthur? How are you stuttering on your words? Aren't you trying to be the cool and calculative character like in those novels you enjoy so much?

I don't know! This is my first time being in this experience! I'm sure you know very well since you're me, that I'm not experienced in romance!

Lillian completely lifts the blanket off her body, and sits on the bed with her legs neatly set under her.

How indecent, I can't look!

I quickly close my eyes and spin around, turning my back to her as I feel my cheeks warm up.

Lillian shows slight surprise, but her face returns to a sly smile, her face also overcoming with a slight blush before she speaks.

"Well, the Commander of the Holy Knights brought you here, and since most of our Clinic was broken, and you were in critical condition, we had to move you somewhere."

Lillian laughs cheerfully, seeing my body stand so stiff, still unmoving.

"So Dustin had the great idea to let you stay in my room, in the estate! Since the Mint Estate Clinic was being repaired, it would definitely not be a suitable place for the great Apostle of Pyro."

She knows? I reckon she would be able to order me to do anything if she kept it a secret, even...

My red face grows more vibrant.

What the hell are you thinking Arthur? Don't think such indecent thoughts! You're too young!!

My body must've stiffened more, or done some other sort of reaction because Lillian started laughing more.

"Tehe, don't worry, your secret is safe with me, but don't take it the wrong way, I wasn't the one who wanted this, Dustin said that it was fine since we were both pure children.

Yeah, I don't know what I am, but my thoughts right now are definitely not pure, Lillian.

I slightly begin to calm down, after looking away from her. Taking the chance of mind clarity, the first thing I notice are my clothes.

Wait... if I remember correctly, my clothes were completely incinerated right? So... why do I have clothes on?!?!

I cough, trying to calm myself from the newfound embarrassment.

"Ahem, do you know who changed my clothes? I'm pretty sure I was nake–"

Lillian interjects, cutting me off before I finish my sentence.

"What?!?!?!"

She quickly notices her impolite outburst and from what I can tell, turns more red from embarrassment as well.

"Ahem, I mean, doctor William has been in charge of your well-being and moved to the main estate."

Oh thank god he's safe– wait why did I feel the need to say that? Why wouldn't he be safe?

"Actually, all the physicians moved with their patients to the estate to continue their work."

The discomfort I felt and my abnormal body temperature disappear and return back to normal, however my face darkens to gloom, as I hear her say the word patients, and realize the memory that I had forcefully removed from my mind as a coping mechanism.

That's right, in my rage, killing the parasite, I completely forgot about my surroundings, and where I was at, I can't believe I wasn't able to control myself, I'm not in a dungeon anymore where there were only monsters trying to kill me, I'm in an extremely populated city where regular civilians live!

"How many died?"

I say abruptly, in a low, and weak, defeated voice.

"What?"

Lillian blurts out without even being able to process what she just heard.

***

I can't waste this opportunity, everything was perfect, and this is the only time I've ever been with him where we didn't have to deal with anything troublesome! He even sees me as a woman now, and not just a clumsy girl! I can't let him go!

***

"You don't have to worry about it Arthur, it wasn't your fault and they were going to die anyway– most of them had incurable illnesses–"

"I DON'T CARE!!"

I scream out loud, turning back to her, full of rage, while my voice tremors with uncontrollable anger and guilt, Lillian's shocked, and afraid face.

Startling the baby Phoenix, it falls off my head, but manages to flap its wings and fly back to the bed, and crawl under the blanket.

Seeing her face, I hold myself back and bite down on my lip, regretting what I had done, and forcefully calming myself down.

"How many died?"

I say coldly, without showing emotion.

She looks away, her face pale and looking terrified.

"Th-there were no physicians that were injured, b-but five patients did unfortunately die."

Immediately after saying this, Lillian looked up and saw my face, becoming horrified as she looked upon my unreadable dead eyes, staring through her in disbelief, as I felt my breathing start to increase rapidly and uncontrollably, being overcome by the guilt.

I killed five people?

I grab my face, as I start to suffer an identity crisis.

No... that can't be right... I'm not a murderer, I can't be– I'M ARTHUR VENTRIKE! I'M THE HERO! HOW CAN I BE A MURDERER?!

My eyes, now having a sprinkle of insanity added to them, as I stare at the only other living being in the room, Lillian who stares at me like I was a terrible monster.

We stare at each other, neither moving, blinking, nor exchanging words, until I am the first to end that cycle, closing my eyes and feeling the mana inside of me, channeling 90% of it into one point, and discharging it out the window, a beam of orange light the size of a needle, that disappeared in the time of a blink.

This power... the shadow was right, I'm not mentally strong enough to wield this power, my mind is far too unstable. I can't wield this power yet...

I concentrate deeply on my mana circuits, and using the remaining 10% of my mana, I use it to block three quarters of my mana circuits, leaving only twenty five percent of my mana circuits usable.

That should be enough to seal my power for now. I'm so sorry those that were killed because of my weakness, I don't even know your names... I'm so, so, sorry...

"That was a good shot, Arthur."

I immediately open my eyes, forgetting about all my sadness for a moment.

It's the Shadow! I need to know if he's Luke Wolkan!

I open my mouth to speak, but my slight moment of ignorance disappears, as I remember everything once again.

The Keeper hovers through the window and flies between me and Lillian.

"I'm glad to see you place value on human life now, but like I said, it's time for you to prove yourself by making amends with whoever that's directed to. Otherwise, as stated in our contract, I will kill you and–"

"DO IT THEN!!"

I stomp up to him, screaming at him directly in his face.

"IT'S JUST AS YOU SAID! I'M NOT READY FOR IT! DID YOU THINK I WANTED TO BE CHOSEN?!?! THIS ALL HAPPENED BECAUSE YOU CHOSE ME!!"

"NONE OF THOSE INNOCENT LIVES WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN LOST IF YOU HADN'T MADE THAT SENTIENT ROCK, TIN WOULDN'T HAVE DIED IF IT WASN'T FOR ME BEING CHOSEN!!!"

"So if you want to kill me, then fine, do it. But know this, I might have caused their deaths, but your hands aren't clean either."

"Dispose of me according to your will."

I say while sneering at him, before I close my eyes and outstretch my neck as far as I can, giving the Keeper a clean and easy way to slice.

"Save that neck for another day Arthur, as I hope that day never comes."

What?

I open my eyes and see the shadow emotionless, speaking strictly.

"This was all a test."

A test?!

"Though extremely disrespectful and rude, you have shown your great commitment and love to the preservation of life, so you have passed."

I look at him in disbelief.

Did he really just say that this was a test? Does he not care for life at all even though that's what he's preaching to me? He means to say that five people, who he could have saved, he let die? ALL FOR THE SAKE OF A TEST?!?!

The Keeper's face remains unchanging, his eyes still calm and showing empathy, his mask covering the majority of his face, but the most easily imaginable image of his face, would be relaxed, perhaps even with a smile.

"Don't get the wrong idea Arthur, they were all evil members of the Arcanus Cult, there's no need to spare a thought of whether to spare them for those vile, demon worshiping bastards. You did good, no innocent people were harmed from this incident. You did good."

The Arcanus Cult?! Of course! If they sent their acolytes to the Mint Estate, that must mean that they already know my identity! If that's true then, that would mean that I'm not a murderer!

"Really?!"

I blurt out, unable to contain my happiness, smiling gleefully.

"Yes, really. But you still have to go back to Ashland right now, this is not for my sake, this will be extremely helpful for you as well."

"Yes, of course! I'm– sorry about my outburst toward you, I wasn't in the correct state of mind."

I say remorsefully, awkwardly scratching the back of my head.

"Don't think too deeply on it, it just goes to show how much you truly valued their lives. It's easy to fix your behavior with discipline, but when one's true nature cannot be changed so easily. Yet, you have shown to me your true nature, and it is enough."

"Oh' yes, thank you sir! Uh, one more thing before I leave, are you– Luke Wolkan?"

The Keeper's eyes widen.

"That's a very good guess, Arthur, but it seems like you've only used the clues about Luke Wolkan that I gave you, and didn't bother to care about the rest. What a shame though, I thought my name ought to have been as famous as him by now or at least around children. Take another guess, I'll give you one last clue."

What? He's not Luke Wolkan? How can that be? How could he possibly know about the Sage System and the recipe for the treatment for Black Blood if he wasn't Luke Wolkan? I have to think about this carefully, he said his name should be famous, especially around children, but he's been alive since Luke Wolkan's time 700 years ago? How is that possible? No human that I can think of matches his description! I'll have to pay extra close to this next hint he's going to give me then.

I activate Heightened Senses and Body Enhancement concentrated on my eyes, but something goes wrong.

Body Enhancement doesn't work? Damn, it must be because I got rid of all my mana! Whatever! I'll just have to make due with Heightened Senses then!

I push all my energy to my eyes as I stare at his right hand that slowly pulls open the right side of his cloak.

What? There's nothing there! What am I supposed to be looking at or figuring out from this?

Then, without dropping the cloak, he moves his left hand into the empty and open space in his cloak, and out of nowhere, Sagey appears in his hands.

What? Sagey? I didn't even notice you were gone! Oh how I missed you!

My joy is ended as I begin to comprehend the reality of what I had just witnessed.

Wait, did he just– use the inventory? There's no way, I thought he was just a fictional character!

"So, what's your guess?"

He says joyfully with a playful smile on his face.

"Are you Terminus?"

He rips off the black mask from his face, the black robes quickly warping out of existence along with it.

"Good guess, getting it on the second try isn't so bad.