CHAPTER 195: ARAVELLE [1]

Just as he was going to be comfortable, the door of the building opened once again.

A lady elf walked in.

The lady elf who entered had long, pale green hair that shimmered like dew in moonlight.

Her eyes, however, were sharp for someone wearing such a calm expression.

Her posture was elegant, yet there was an underlying tension in the way she carried herself.

She glanced at Akamir, then at Mika, and finally at Reagan, who stood still on the wooden floor.

"You must be the human requesting an audience," she said. Her voice was smooth, but not warm. "I am Counselor Aravelle."

Akamir nodded politely. "Akamir. And these are my companions."

Aravelle’s gaze lingered on Reagan for a second longer than necessary.

"A cursed soul," Reagan said with a dramatic bow. "Nice to meet you."

Aravelle didn’t seem amused. "Charming."

She walked past them and gestured to a small circular table in the middle of the room.

"Come. Let us not waste time. The Elder Court is watching everything more closely these days."

Akamir took the seat across from her, while Mika stood quietly behind him, hands resting on the pommel of her sword.

Reagan hopped up onto the table and sat cross-legged, and Nayomi floated silently near the ceiling, arms folded.

"I was told you wished to discuss a matter of... urgency," Aravelle began, folding her hands together.

"How do you know Empress Sephrina?" Akamir asked, looking at her.

It was Sephrina who chose her as their partner, but Akamir wasn’t too sure.

’What if she is just one of Lewin’s underlings?’

The chances were low, but Akamir couldn’t be fully sure.

Lewin’s grip on the kingdom and all those under him was too strong to just ignore.

Aravelle looked at him for a second before she replied. "She was...my friend."

There was a silence in the place before Akamir gave her a soft nod.

"Anyway." She said, leaning forward. "I believe you know Lili, right?"

As if waiting for her name to be taken, Lili arrived in the place from the window.

She quickly rushed towards Akamir. "You came!?"

"Was I not supposed to?" Akamir asked, looking at the fairy.

"No!" She replied. "Anyway, where is Saia?"

"We will talk about her later." Akamir said as he looked into her eyes. "Can Sephrina hear us right now?"

Lili nodded her head softly. "Yes, she is connected with me right now."

"...I see." Akamir said before he looked at Aravelle.

Akamir didn’t waste time. "Your kingdom is being infected."

Her fingers tightened slightly, just for a moment.

She let out a sigh after a while. "So, I wasn’t the only one who noticed it, huh?"

Akamir leaned back slightly in his chair, his gaze never leaving Aravelle. "No. You weren’t."

Aravelle’s fingers tapped the edge of the table slowly. "It started slowly." She mumbled. "But it was still too glaring to just ignore it."

Akamir remained silent as he kept on looking at the woman.

"You know what the official reason for it?" She asked, looking at him.

Akamir shook his head.

"They are saying it is because of the change in season." She replied, chuckling. "A stupid answer indeed."

"But it’s not the season," Mika said calmly, stepping forward.

"No." Aravelle’s eyes shifted to Mika, then to Akamir. "And then, a few of our patrols didn’t return."

Reagan raised an eyebrow. "Did they vanish or...?"

"They came back." Aravelle’s voice dropped. "But they weren’t themselves."

Silence settled for a brief moment.

"Symptoms?" Akamir asked.

"Dim eyes, pale skin. They were much more eerie looking than anything else." She replied grimly. "We had to isolate them, but it didn’t seem to work."

"...Did something happen with their bodies?" Reagan asked, scrunching up his nose.

"They melted." Aravelle nodded slowly. "Like wax under fire."

Lili floated down and perched on Akamir’s shoulder, her voice more serious than before. "It’s spreading faster now, I can feel the dirtiness in the air."

Aravelle’s eyes darkened. "Then it’s worse than I feared."

Akamir remained silent as he kept on staring at the woman.

"What is Lewin to you?" Akamir asked, looking at her. "Or are you not connected?"

"He is nothing to me." She replied. "If anything, he is the rival of my late father."

Akamir tilted his head. "Pardon?"

"He and my father had a fight once." She replied. "They dueled in the name of the sacred World Tree, but my father lost his life."

Akamir grew even more interested in her story. "By your tone, it doesn’t seem like you hate him."

She looked at him with a smile. "I don’t." She replied. "Why would I hate him? They fought on equal ground, and my father lost."

Akamir studied her for a long second.

He expected bitterness or resentment in her tone, but instead, there was something almost respectful.

"You admire him?" Akamir asked carefully.

"I admire strength," Aravelle replied simply, folding her hands again.

Reagan let out a low whistle from his perch on the table. "You Elves are always like this, well it’s understandable."

Akamir also somewhat understood her reasoning.

They live a long life and Akamir was sure they won’t just waste their life on hate or resentment.

’Well, I guess there is a reason they are so close to nature.’

Akamir leaned back slightly, his fingers drumming softly on the table’s surface.

"Keeping all that aside." She said, looking at him. "What do you need to do?"

Akamir looked at her. "You do know, it was Lewin who did all this?"

"I mean, is that really that hard to understand?" She replied, shrugging. "He is the one who practically controls the Sylvan Kingdom."

That made Akamir interested once again.

"And yet you guys let him be?" He asked. "Do none of you have a problem with that?"

"Why should we?" She replied, shrugging. "Like it or not, Lewin is doing everything in his power to keep the elves stable and safe."

She looked at Lili, or to be more precise, Sephrina, who was listening from her.

"And with all due respect, your majesty." She said softly. "You are in no position to run a kingdom."

Akamir raised his brow as he looked at Lili.

"No offence taken." She replied. "Sephrina said, that’s why I like people like you who are honest."

Aravelle gave a slow nod, the tension in her shoulders loosening just a bit.

"I don’t speak for all the council, but most of us have accepted the truth. Lewin holds the strings."

"Even if the strings are made of poison?" Reagan asked, kicking his legs lazily on the table.

She looked at him calmly. "What kingdom isn’t held up by a bit of poison?"

Akamir gave a short chuckle. "Fair point."

"But the real problem isn’t just Lewin," Aravelle continued, her fingers now interlocked on the table. "It’s what’s under him. Things that even he might not fully understand."

Akamir’s eyes narrowed. "You think he’s being used?"

"I think," she said carefully, "that the deeper a man reaches for control, the more he’s forced to grab things best left untouched."

Lili looked between them both, her wings twitching. "Lewin has always been like that. Quiet, strategic, but never reckless."

Akamir nodded as he looked at her. "Anyway, we should start working on the current problem."

Aravelle stood up as she looked at him. "Alright, how can I help you?"

"Nothing much." Akamir replied, standing up as well. "For starters, give me a tour of the city."

Aravelle looked at him confusedly. "...What?"

Akamir gestured to her. "I need to know who and what I am against." He replied. "It’s better to know your enemies before acting out."

Aravelle wasn’t stupid to not understand what he is trying to say, but that doesn’t mean she wasn’t annoyed by it.

"Fine, whatever."

She grumbled, turning around.

Akamir turned to look at both of them. "Mika, can you look around the place?" He said to her.

Mika bowed deeply. "I will make sure everything is alright, my Lord."

Akamir nodded his head and then looked at Reagan. "Don’t cause any trouble."

"I am not a kid, brat!!"

Akamir ignored him as he walked towards Aravelle, who stood at the door.

He said, while rubbing his space ring. "Can you change your appearance?"

The elven woman sighed before she nodded her head. "...Yeah."

Almost immediately, her face began to morph as she looked much more ordinary now.

Akamir also took out the plain mask as he wore it.

He gave her a nod as they both walked out of the building.

"To know everything about those who control the kingdom." She said, as soon as they reached out. "You first need to know how we came here."

Lili’s eyes sparkled as she still sat on his shoulder.

Akamir sighed. ’Another history class.’

---

[A/n: - I would like to apologize, but there has been a slight mistake on my part.

In the previous Chapter, it was stated that he could also be infected by the curse, but that’s not the case.

Though, Kros will still try to kill Akamir as he is coming in between her plans.]