"They were on suspension magic, so as to not enable them to move around and cause a disturbance. But their mind and metabolism are fully active. They are fully conscious." Leon explained.
"This is our special way of detaining the curse users that hosted spirit fragments. We have to make it so that they are not able to do anything to themselves or to the environment outside. Their powers have no form thus we can only devise a way to restrain their powers this way."
Only then did the look on the men's faces flashed a hint of understanding. For a moment they thought that Leon and the Court of Sinners had already done the punishment without consulting the Emperor and the Temple.
All the men in the room could still feel the flicker of life in their bodies, however, they are afraid that the mere fact that they appeared to be unconscious is part of the torture without undue process.
"Also, the more they use their curse powers, the more the curse power would demand to eat some life force. Since they were inside the prison, there was no other source of life force but themselves. This would also be tantamount to suicide which we do not want to happen before any litigation happens." Leon continued.
"I see… What a bizarre thing this cursed power was. It is so scary and troublesome." Crown Prince Ranon commented as if he was deeply worried and afraid to get close to these people.
Unbeknownst to them, apart from Kazimir and Antoine, all others were not buying his acting but rather suspected him to be one with the enemy.
"Indeed they are troublesome, that is why we have to apprehend all others who are still out there, freely mingling with people, ready to consume them for the sake of keeping and growing their powers." Leon coldly replied.
He needed not to look in Crown Prince Ranon's direction, his words were already enough for him to hear.
"The Third Prince's words are indeed correct…" Crown Prince Ranon looked at everyone and told everything righteously.
Then he sighed and continued, "It's a shame that before all of the trials started we still have to think of a way to transfer them all to the Holy Island… There's no other thing in the world that could bring us peace and quiet other than being able to see that justice has been served."
Leon did not reply but only nodded perfunctorily. In the end, Crown Prince Ranon did not seem to do any kind of things inside.
His every move, even each flick he made with his hands and gaze from his eyes were all seen and recorded. But the Crown Prince did not do anything suspicious at all.
The observers at the Court of Sinners doubted if he really was someone who had connections to the curse power. But since the Third Prince said that he is highly suspicious, they did not dare to rule him out of the picture.
Of course, on Crown Prince Ranon's end, he will not dare to make a move inside. Even as the two beings hiding in their shadows almost rushed towards Maxim Vesala, their father, he used his authority to prohibit them from doing something foolish and blowing their cover.
'Hold it in for a few more weeks, you will all see your father once we are out of this empire!' He told them sternly.
Only then did Arabella and Nikolai, who were hiding in his shadows, calm down. But their resentment increased to the highest towards the Imperial Family, especially towards Leon and their cousin Kazimir.
After their inspections, the Crown Prince occasionally asked about how they were making sure that the prisoners were kept safe and alive to ensure that they could endure the long journey ahead.
Then they proceeded to go back not to the palace but to the temple to discuss how the prisoners will be transported.
–
While the others were busy discussing the matters of the prisoners, Eli and Kayden finally arrived with the troops in the sun tower.
"Thank heavens for your safe journey!"
Waiting for them patiently was Governor Fidel, who upon receiving the notice from his trusted knight Bernard that Eli and Kayden will rush to the capital, chose to miss the inspection in the Court of Sinners to welcome them.
He stepped forward, with his face remaining stoic and lonesome, yet his eyes were filled with relief.
"Governor Fidel…" Eli and Kayden saluted at him in acknowledgement, while the rest of the northern troops bowed in reverence.
"It's a relief that you were able to come back before the transportation started. Now, I know that you have many things to say and report. His Majesty allowed me to receive the initial reports first as he will remain occupied the entire day due to the Envoy." Governor Fidel explained.
Eli and Kayden nodded, after all, the mission was entrusted to the three of them, with Governor Fidel acting as the sponsor of the expedition. He had the right to know as their superiors what had transpired.
They were then led into Governor Fidel's designated office while the knights stayed at their temporary barracks. The two were given a short time to breathe, while Governor Fidel sent the necessary notifications to Emperor Valentin and Leon.
After that, he sat on the couch across from Eli and Kayden, joining them for tea.
"The village, have you gotten more information about them?" Governor Fidel went straight on the matter, however, Eli and Kayden could hear the quiver in his voice.
While it was already more than two decades after the perishing of the asanis in the Portia Valley, it was still such a painful scar for him to face.
Eli and Kayden looked at each other. Then it was Kayden who spoke of what they had found inside.
However, he only told Governor Fidel about the necessary things, taking out the fact about the souls coming from another world and the heavenly realm.
"This is by far the most important matter for us to report. While we must limit the people who knew because once the Pope got in touch with these people, the information managed to get leaked to him."
"That makes sense…" Governor Fidel looked at the report and read it once more, his face turning deeper and more solemn as he read.
"Then… according to this information and the fact that there are fake paladin sporting features of an asani, what are your inferences?" Governor Fidel looked at Kayden and Eli and asked in a low voice.
Eli was the one to answer, "Governor, combining the information we have at hand we can only agree to one theory…
It is possible that long before they knew of the existence of the rings, they were already eyeing the corpses of the Asanis and intended them to be used in their experimentation - to create a vessel to contain the spirit of Birsha.
But by possessing the corpses, they stumbled upon two of the bearers of the dimension rings, the Village Chief, Rodelio and the son of the creator of the ring himself, Alexandre.
With that, they managed to reinforce their knowledge through the medical books inside of it, and also noticed the specimens. After that, they will somehow realize that the books were not complete and would boldly guess that if there were two rings, there would probably be the third one.
With that, they commenced finding who among the people of the land had medical knowledge and skills comparable to the skills of the books in the first two rings and would, later on, identify Cornelius as the bearer of the third ring.
But too bad… Before he left, he was already able to pass the ring to his son, Kayden and the specimens inside were already successfully used up, through conceiving me.
Now… Five years later, for some reason, the Spectres will catch wind that an asani exists. But some mad doctor who wanted to one-up others managed to get me first and use me for experimentation.
In one of the memoirs written by the mad doctor himself, he threatened to burn my body to death if the Spectre would insist on handing me over.
With that the Spectre dared not to make a move and could only allow the mad doctor to experiment on me, periodically waiting for the mad doctor's submitted reports and journals.
That lasted until I turned twenty and was rescued by the Imperial Family through the Elder Leprechaun's words.
Meanwhile, while they were helpless about getting me, the only Asani alive, they could lay low and rely on his results.
However, after ten years they started to move once again, this time they hunted Doctor Kayden, the most talented doctor in the history of Prasinos.
Governor, do you know what event coincides with the year when Kayden started to disappear and become hunted by the Spectre?"
Governor Fidel frowned and thought for a long while. He tried to remember all the significant events that happened until a sudden realization caused him to widen his eyes and answer,
"It was the time when the Pope was inaugurated as a High Priest!!"
