Chapter 103 Good Just For The Sake Of Being Good

Silence. No one answered or responded to her words.

Seeing this, she stretched her hand forward and conjured a small orb of water that soon turned into three icy spikes, that followed the movement of her eyes.

"I won't repeat myself" The ice spikes enlarged, while she used her other hand in preparation to summon her spirits "Come out!!".

"Swoosh!!"

A group of men, clad in a white assassin's attire appeared before her.

And in return, she chuckled.

From the moment she and Prince Wyatt walked through the gates, she knew that they were being watched. But, she didn't panic because she didn't want to cause a scene. And since they merely watched and did nothing else, she let them be.

With the amalgamation of various kingdoms in the Vrymath Kingdom which was left unsupervised and unmonitored, she knew that they have been an increase in the factions that threatened or ensured the growth of the Vrymath kingdom.

Factions who would keep an eye out for whatever happens within the Vrymath Kingdom while cross-checking whoever walks in and out of it.

And although she understood their plight, and the reason for their cautiousness, that didn't mean she appreciated being spied on. She looked around and examined the five men who she confirmed were ascendants after probing their magical energy with theirs.

Weak, she examined the first one standing by the far right. Weak, she examined another. Passable. Weak. Strong.

The moment her magical energy grazed against theirs, she could tell now at a glance, that the ascendants weren't worth her time, except for the one in the front, who she guessed was their leader.

Four from the group in front of her were Rank 2 ascendants, while the leader….. She could feel that he was a Rank 3 ascendant, but judging from the amount of magical energy she felt when probing him, he was probably some circles higher than her.

Seeing that he was the real threat, she tore her gaze from the men behind him and focused her attention on him.

'Can I defeat him?' She thought.

"Take any step further, and I will provide a demonstration of one of my spirits to the whole city " She spoke and halted their movements while lacing her words with a threat.

"Miss Annabelle, it's been a long time since we met. How long has it been? Five months?… Six?….. Or a six and a half?" The leader said demurely.

"I am sorry, I have no recollection of you" She scrunched up her eyebrows and replied "Maybe you thought that I was another person".

He shook his head and rolled off the scarf covering his face before he looked stared at her with her unwavering gaze. His actions allowed her to get a good look at his face. However, she still had no idea who he was.

Shaking her head once more, she added "I am sorry, but I have no idea who you are. Now, can I please ask you to stop following me?".

He didn't respond. He merely stared at her with a withdrawn gaze, as though contemplating his next course of action.

"...Ahem! If you don't recognize me, then I am sure that you will recognize my king. King Bor, ruler of the former Sloyworth kingdom" He declared.

King Bor? Her mind twisted as memories of their encounter surfaced in her thoughts. She remembered meeting him once, but she didn't remember forming any kind of close relationship with him that needed her to be summoned privately to his place of living.

Nonetheless, since this was one of the kings of the fallen kingdoms, then it doesn't matter what they say. Whether it was good or bad, it will surely end up in a mess!

And she was not in the mood for any of that considering her current task at hand were.

"Alright" She nodded, and then replied "Tell your king that I will make time to come see him when I am less busy".

He grunted. For the first time, she saw his mask fall off and changed into a visage of utmost discontentment.

"I don't think you understand what I mean Miss Annabelle. My king wants to see you now" He said. His eyes attained a sharp glint.

"Does my response mean nothing to you guys? Or do you see me as easy prey?" She hissed. Her words came out like a venomous fog, forcing the men to take a step back when they felt the high influx of magical energy in the air.

"We do not see you in any such regards, Miss Annabelle. We are only here to escort you back to our ki.."

"Sprinkled from the top to the depths of the ocean - -"

The leader's face grimaced, seeing the inrush of magical energy suddenly surrounding him.

"We are not here for trouble, Miss Annabelle" He replied.

"The sound of the warring winds fills her heart with vengeance - "

The winds around Annabelle picked pace and formed a small tornado below her knees. The tornado gradually made it way higher and higher, until it was around her breast area.

"Do not force our hands Miss Annabelle" He frowned. His muscles tensed as he pulled out a dagger hidden underneath his clothes.

"Let thy hands place judgment on those who dare to - - "

"Attack!! Don't let her finish the ritual!" He screamed to the men behind him. His words sounded like a trigger that catapulted their bodies forward.

Their blades were drawn in a swift fluid movement that displayed their professionalism and carefully honed skills.

"....trespass on your waters"

And instantly, five different daggas were thickly positioned on her skin.

"Come with us peacefully, we mean no harm" He added, speaking in contrast to his actions.

With clear amusement in her voice, Annabelle stared at the eyes of the leader who threatened to disable her with his daggers, and whispered "Mother Andiara"

"BOOM!!"

A spirit tore through the veil and answered the call of her summoner.

….....

In this wretched world, be good.

The flesh of mortals was corrupted by all things evil. An evil that he detested. An evil so pure and foul that his stomach churns from the thought of one man, a city, or a kingdom possessing such evil.

In this wretched world, be good.

That was his motto. A single phrase that stirred his life and showed him the satisfaction and probity of being a good man, and establishing a good heart. A heart that was once tested during the emergence of the Moonlight's ice.

The Moonlight's ice! Oh! How can he ever forget?

People were thrown out of their homes. Kings were thrown out of their thrones, the rich were ripped of their riches, dismantled from their lands and fortunes, stripped of their fame, only to be cast among the commoners and forced to run, rampaging like rats on the cursed ground that longs for their lives.

Even though he chooses not to remember, the physical and emotional scars will always make his heart arch in pain and bitterness. However, his heart did not falter to the sin of pride, which made a man believe he is a god among men because he displays sheer unearthly powers. Nor the sin of gluttony, which compelled him to be insatiable with the materialistic possessions all around him.

And yet, people always mistake his good gestures for ulterior motives and hidden ambition. Everything time he does something good, he could hear their voices beneath their smiles. Their insults behind their mask.

"He is foolish - -"

"He thinks he can win our hearts by helping us once in a while - -"

"Don't mind him, of course, we won't fall for his kind - -"

"He has already taken control of our city, now he thinks that he can easily brainwash our kids and win us over the same way - -"

"Shhh!!! I heard that he is an ascendant, so if he hears you - -"

"What? Do you think I care? Let him hear me. Has anyone ever told him that his benevolence always seems so forced - -"

He tuned out the voice penetrating his ears and listened to his footsteps as they drummed along with his heart.

In this wretched world, be good.

He understood that not everyone will receive his gestures of goodwill with an open heart, or better yet, not everyone believes that a man with a heart as pure as he exists.

Even though he knew their thoughts and understood them, at times, he couldn't comprehend their reasoning behind such thoughts.

Were their hearts so corrupted that they couldn't accept that a man can be good because he just wants to be good with no other ulterior motives?

Good just for the sake of being good!!

He chuckled. Now, he was out of their range, he could now think clearly.

His eyes drifted side to side, as he conducted his morning survey around the city before heading back to the orphanage to feed the children their breakfast.

"Good" He uttered. So far, he hadn't seen anything that was worth a crime.

He knew that with the strange uneasiness in the kingdom, they would be an increase in crimes. However, it seems that his hours of patrols in the morning and the evening were finally paying off, deterring anyone from causing civil unrest in his city.