The revelation was quite shocking. A world-changing battle fought by a hero and an invader, but what was really shocking was that none of us had heard about this history.
"Does this mean this is real, or are the leaders on Earth hiding something from us? But judging from their serious expressions, they are telling the truth. If this is true, why haven't I heard about this history?"
As expected from those politicians, they are people we can't place our trust in. All they care about is their image and themselves. I'm sure there are thousands of secrets those leaders are keeping from us, and judging by the fact that we don't know this, it was also one of the secrets they hid.
"They need a weapon to save their realm and to find the human. Is there more to this mission? Because I can feel they're withholding some information," I thought, looking at Darok.
Darok stared at me for a while before shifting his gaze toward Xyrus.
"Introduce your teammates, so we can begin strategizing," Darok said plainly.
Xyrus' face changed. He was frowning and, at the same time, smiling. Nevertheless, he still followed the command.
"If not for the fact that you're the leader's favorite, I would have killed you," he gritted his teeth. "What are you still doing? Introduce yourselves, or do you want me to introduce you?"
The others flinched, not expecting his sudden outburst. From the few short exchanges between him and Darok, I knew Xyrus was jealous of his position—wishing to be in his shoes. But there was more to it.
Every insult, command, and outburst of anger had a deeper origin, suggesting they had known each other far longer than anyone realized.
One of the people following stepped forward and bowed slightly to show respect.
With a humble tone, the first person spoke.
"I am Raek, an humble servant of Lady Selka."
In the same manner, each of them began introducing themselves, until it finally got to the last person. What made this person different was his aura. He had a gloomy aura that seemed to drain the color from everything. He walked like a feeble old man suffering from a deadly disease, and his facial expression was like that of someone suffering from depression.
With a shaky and almost inaudible voice, the person spoke.
"I am Maka, and I am here on the request of Sir Xyrus…"
That was all I could hear before he became inaudible. My gaze shifted from him to the bookshelves.
There were thousands of books on each floor, covering different topics and subjects. I tried focusing on a particular book to understand what it was, but no matter how I read it, I couldn't understand it.
"What sort of magic are they using?"
That thought echoed in my mind. Ever since we came to this realm, I had noticed all sorts of abnormalities—such as the mutation of the people, Selka's predictive ability, and the overwhelming power of Darok. And I was sure there were more abnormalities in this world.
"What confuses me even more is our ability to understand what they're saying, but not what they've written, like in this case. Or maybe this case is just special."
My eyes flickered back to Darok before I spoke.
"I think that's enough."
Under Darok's intimidating stare, Maka immediately fell silent. I moved forward, facing them and studying their expressions for a few seconds. Each one had a different expression—disgust, jealousy, contempt, and, most of all, anger.
I could feel the killing intent from Xyrus, but I ignored it and got straight to the point.
"Each of us has been hand-picked by Selka herself because she trusts each and every one of us," I paused, my eyes flickering back to Xyrus as I noticed his snarl and unbridled anger.
As expected, I thought.
"As Darok said, our main mission is to get the weapon and also to gain knowledge about this realm. You are an elite group, so don't expect me to go easy on you. Darok and Xyrus, may I request your assistance with something?" I said politely.
Darok looked surprised before returning to his calm composure, while Xyrus snorted arrogantly as they followed me to the second floor.
The second floor looked quite different from the first. The smell of old books was heavier here, and there were even more books, still arranged in the same curved manner.
I stared at the view for a few moments before focusing on the main issue—the people following me.
"Miss Emily, what do you need my assistance for?" he asked politely.
Ever since we arrived at the Great Citadel, Arvok, I noticed Darok had been polite with me. Too polite. Referring to me as "Miss Emily" made it feel eerie and strange.
Is it his behavior? Or maybe an instruction from Selka? The former seems impossible, but the latter seems possible, I thought.
Pushing those thoughts aside, I gave a response.
"Tell me, what is the fate of me and my teammates after the mission?" I asked, looking directly at Darok.
"I can't decide that. Only the leader can," he answered.
I knew he wouldn't have the answer to that question, but it was a lead-in to the main one.
"What will Lady Selka do if I escape?"
Darok immediately furrowed his brows, his expression turning serious. For someone who was usually expressionless and indifferent, you could tell he was taking this seriously.
The surrounding area suddenly grew cold; the temperature dropped to about minus two degrees Celsius. With a bone-chilling smile, he finally spoke.
"Then I would have to kill him and your teammates."
I subconsciously swallowed when I heard him.
"Of course, I wouldn't forget about you. I will chase you down until I catch you. And when I do…" he paused.
That momentary pause made it even scarier. I smiled weakly as he continued.
"You will regret being born in this world."
That didn't feel like a threat—more like something he would definitely do. I shivered as I digested every single word he said.
"Since that's covered, what is he doing here?" I changed the topic.
"Him?" Darok asked, puzzled, pointing toward Xyrus.
"Yes, him. I believe we don't need him for the expedition," I followed up.
At the sideline, Xyrus watched us, furious beyond belief. His face was tomato red, as if he wanted to explode.
"Me! Mind you, I was picked by the leader for this mission. I am the head of the military…" he kept saying useless things.
"I believe he's still manageable to some extent—useful in certain conditions," Darok said matter-of-factly.
"Could that be the reason Miss Emily called us?" he asked.
I couldn't say yes, because that would be a blemish on my dignity, so I gave the most reasonable answer.
"No. Tell me the real history of this realm," I said, looking toward Darok.
"Darok, you shouldn't tell—" Darok cut Xyrus off.
"Why wouldn't I tell you? You'll know the truth later anyway, and the leader told me to tell you when you asked," he said.