Two days later, in the Deputy Academy Head's Office...
The Deputy Academy sat on his chair facing Ernst.
"Have we been able to uncover the identity of the killer, Ernst?"
However, Ernst shook his head in response. "Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress on that. The only information we have is that the attacker is either a Late Level Empyrean or possibly a Crowned Empyrean with space-related abilities. That information can only take us so far. All those who match this description have sufficient alibis, proving they were not the culprit."
There were very few people in Outer Valdoria who had mastered the power of space.
The same also applies to the power of time and karma.
Only two groups of people can learn these abilities.
They have to be from a powerful group, like the Myriad Dao Academy, like the guard Jarek saw guarding the entrance to the Third Level of the Law Hall.
The other group is those who have physiques related to those laws.
The Deputy Academy Head sighed in frustration and he slumped back in his chair, "Why did that bastard mayor have to die when the Academy Head is away? Now I have to deal with this mess?"
The timing was indeed terrible, so he couldn't help feeling frustrated.
He then turned to Ernst and asked, "What about Jarek? What information have we gathered on him?"
Ernst handed him some documents, which he went through.
It didn't take him much time to finish.
"This kid's origins are shrouded in fog. Jensson... I have never heard of that name. I originally thought that name wasn't special, but I had a feeling that maybe that isn't the case. But now my suspicions have deepened. No information on the mother and son before they set foot in Arvenca. Maybe we should let the sect investigate this. Their methods are sure to yield better results than ours." The Deputy Academy Head concluded.
"It will be done," Ernst replied.
---
At Eira's home...
It was evening, and the sun was about to set.
Jarek had already left after helping Eira with her cultivation.
Eira now sat deep in meditation, delving further into her cultivation when...
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Knocking sounds pulled her out of a meditative state.
She took a deep breath and moved to open the door.
When she pulled the door open to see who had interrupted her cultivation, her body froze at the sight of the visitor.
It was like she had been struck by thunder.
What came into view was a woman with black hair and a mature aura.
She was at a loss for words.
Because this woman greatly resembled her, or to be more exact, resembled the past Eira before she was introduced to the world of cultivation.
It took a moment to process the situation before she finally muttered, "Is that you, mother?"
Tears formed in the woman's eyes as she spoke, her voice trembling, "Yes, it's me. It has been so long since the last time I saw you. I am so sorry that your worthless mother hasn't been there for you for all these years."
As she said so, the woman moved to hug Eira, who remained unresponsive.
But a moment later, she started to shed tears, as they dripped onto her mother's shoulder.
Some time later, both mother and daughter sat side by side, as Eira's mother held her hand. "I know you have a lot of questions. Feel free to ask them."
Immediately, Eira voiced her first question. "Where have you been all these years?"
"I was at the mayor's mansion."
Eira's eyes widened in surprise as she remembered they had been there a few days ago.
"A few others and I were able to escape just a few days ago, on the day Jurgen died."
"Why were you kept there all those years? Did he do something to you?"
At this question, Eira's mother's face turned genuinely dark. "Some time after you were born, we were unlucky to have met Jurgen. However, true to his vile and lecherous nature, when the mayor saw me, he wanted me to serve him. I couldn't refuse him; otherwise, I risked the destruction of our family. There were rumors of him having destroyed a family just to bed their daughter when they refused. For years, I became his plaything as he vented his lust onto me whenever he felt like it."
Her expression expressed utter disgust as she thought of those moments.
"What kept me going strong was the belief that if I endured, I could keep you safe. The only benefit that came out of all of this was that I became a cultivator."
Then she suddenly smiled, "Then by some miracle, after enduring for all these years, finally that beast was killed a few days ago, and now I am free. Free to return home."
Eira then continued asking some more questions, to which her mother answered sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a frown.
"Umm... I realized that I don't really know your name. Father never told me."
"He never told you?" Eira's mother asked in surprise.
Eira nodded.
"Maybe he didn't want you to find out about me and live a normal life. My name is Selena, but you can call me mother." Selena flashed a warm smile as she said this.
If Jurgen were here to witness this reunion, he would have rolled his eyes at this mother-daughter interaction.
Then, with a gaze full of expectations, she asked, "How about telling your mother how your life has been for all these years? I'd be happy to listen."