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Chapter 73 - Chapter 73: The Weight In Her Voice

Chapter 73: The Weight In Her Voice

Her gaze snapped to them, eyes cold with contempt at their foolishness. In a single fluid motion, she stepped forward, twisting her posture as she slipped through the narrow space between them. Her hilt cracked against one head, then another, so swift it was as if time itself had faltered. Before they realized she was already behind them, her hand lashed out once more, striking both at the neck.

They crumpled, unconscious, as Seraphina strode ahead. The remaining bandits, still aiming their weapons, stared at her in stunned, terrified silence.

Another one jumped from the side, aiming high, his knife cutting through wind.

But her blade was already there. She didn't swing to kill. She stopped them each time, precisely, as if playing a dance she had long mastered.

Arwyn, now seated beside the recovering Eska, watched the scene ahead with tired, half-lidded eyes. Her breathing was still a little uneven, her hands resting loosely on her lap. When she spoke, her voice was low, almost drowsy. "Kael… have you ever seen the Captain fight?"

Kael glanced at her, then back toward Seraphina. "No, ma'am. But I'm not sure I'd even call that a fight, you know. It's… completely one-sided. She's just stepping forward, and those guys are falling over for no reason."

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Arwyn's lips. "Oh… is that all you're seeing?" She let her gaze linger on Seraphina a moment longer before adding softly, "I suppose you'd need a great deal of training to catch her actual movements. But… I did expect as much."

Kael scratched at his cheek, frowning slightly. "So… bad then. Also, aside from that, can you tell me what kind of healing magic that was? I've never even heard of it in my life, let alone seen it. I mean… I am a healer too."

"I know. And my magic…" Arwyn's voice was gentle as she lifted a finger to her lips, her expression warm with a playful smile. "Sheesh… that's a secret."

Kael leaned toward her a little, his brow furrowing. "So you're not going to tell me, then? I was hoping to learn from you."

Her eyes slid back to the fight, and the faintest curve of a smile returned. "We'll see about that later."

Kael exhaled quietly, the kind of sigh that carried both resignation and faint amusement.

Meanwhile, Seraphina had stopped completely, letting the wind flick her hair lightly behind her. She sheathed her sword.

"Captain… are you giving up?" Kael called out.

She turned to him mid-dodge, sidestepping another knife with effortless grace. "I am considering something," she said as she caught the man's hand. He blinked rapidly, straining to push his sword forward. "These insects are not even worth a clean strike. And I still need them alive. I need answers. So… what do you suggest I do?" She shoved him down hard, forcing him onto the floor.

"So, why did you draw your swords from the sheath in the first place? You could have just knocked him out with the sheath alone." Kael's eyes lit up, and with a smirk curling at his lips, he said aloud, "Easy. Break their arms and legs. They will talk once they realize they cannot crawl away."

"I'm not a monster," she replied.

"You sure?" he said with a grin. "Because right now, you look like one to them."

She didn't answer. Instead, a faint shift moved through her stance. Her gloved fingers began to glimmer, and a thin ripple of blue lightning danced its way down her arms.

Then—

Zzt! Zzt! Zzt!

Bolts of lightning exploded outward in sharp pulses, faster than thought. The bandits convulsed mid-attack, bodies jolting with crackling energy. Some dropped instantly. Others froze in place, eyes wide with horror. When it ended, silence returned. Most lay twitching on the ground.

Kael gave a mock applause. "No sword, but you used your lightning anyway? Is this your version of mercy, Captain?"

"I didn't kill them." She walked forward, ignoring his teasing. "But they won't be standing anytime soon. And I doubt they'll resist interrogation in that state."

But then—

Cough. Cough.

A sudden spasm tore through one of the bodies. It happened so quickly that even Seraphina did not notice at first. Then another followed. And another. They began choking, eyes bulging, foam gathering at their lips as their bodies convulsed violently.

Kael frowned. "Wait. What the—?"

Within seconds, they were dead. All of them. Seraphina stood motionless, her face darkening swiftly. She stepped forward and inspected the bodies, at first unable to believe her own eyes. The bandits' hands were clenched, their heads twisted at unnatural angles. Thick, blackened blood seeped from their mouths, and their expressions were frozen in a terror of something unseen.

"They were silenced," she murmured. "Suicide… no, something more deliberate. Who would give such an order?"

Then she felt it... something that was neither magic nor any clear form, but a presence. Her eyes sharpened like steel, their color seeming to edge toward a vivid blue as her brows drew tight.

Her gaze snapped toward a tree at the edge of the path. For a split second, something was there. A presence so sharp it cut the air.

Without a word, she vanished. In a blur of speed, she appeared beside the tree. The air seemed to tremble, yet when she arrived there was nothing, no figure, no movement. Only the tree standing alone, a few scattered leaves, a faint breeze, and silence.

Her eyes narrowed. "I felt it. I am certain of it. Someone was here, only a heartbeat ago. And those men… they ended their own lives in that very moment. Such a thing cannot be mere coincidence. Whoever he was, he observed everything from the shadows, and vanished before I could arrive. To wield such power… could it be that masked man I crossed blades with the other day?"

Behind her, a dragonfly drifted lazily past the tree, wings catching the light like glass. Seraphina stared at it for a moment… then turned away. But her thoughts were no longer calm.

Seraphina returned to the group, though her steps were slower than usual and her mind far from settled. The presence she had felt, deliberate, watching, still lingered in the edges of her awareness like the taste of something bitter. As she neared the fallen bodies, her gaze lowered to them, and despite all her control, despite all her practiced composure, something darker flickered in her chest for just a breath of a second.

She had wanted to kill them. She had wanted to end them, not as an officer, not as a Knight, but as a woman who had simply seen too much filth for one day.

Her hand hovered over the hilt of her sword again. Her fingers tightened around the leather grip. She looked at the dead bandits, their bodies still and blood-caked mouths slightly open. Her voice, when it came, was a whisper to herself.

"...There was something else. I'm sure of it."

Just then, a voice cut through her thoughts.

"Captain," Kael called out, not loudly, but enough to draw her attention. "She's waking up."

Seraphina turned, her posture straightening automatically as she moved toward them.

On the ground, beneath the protective cloak, Eska's eyes blinked open. At first, she didn't seem to recognize anything, her vision distant, unfocused. Her lips trembled as she sat up slowly, and the cloak slid slightly off her shoulder, revealing pale, bruised skin that was only now beginning to show signs of Arwyn's magical restoration. She stared at her own body, stunned. Her breath caught.

"W-where am I?" she asked faintly, her voice raspy and dazed. "Am I… still alive?"

Kael turned his gaze away quickly, almost too quickly, his expression unreadable but strangely colder than before. He didn't speak.

Eska noticed him. Her cheeks flushed as she hurried to grab the cloak, pulling it tightly over her body, wrapping herself like a child hiding from the world.

"You're fine," Arwyn said gently, but there was something distant in her tone too, something beneath the surface. "And very much alive, though I imagine the shock made you assume otherwise. You're not in hell. Not unless you count this city on a bad day."

Eska's eyes widened as they focused on Arwyn, and her breath caught again.

"L-Lieutenant?" she whispered. "Why are you here? I… I didn't do anything wrong, I swear! Are you here to arrest me? I swear, I didn't—"

"Relax," Arwyn said with a touch of weariness. "No one's here to arrest you. But it's odd how defensive you sound, considering you say you've done nothing."

"I—it's nothing," Eska mumbled, curling into herself.

Kael said nothing. He watched her closely. Seraphina knelt beside Eska, her movements graceful and deliberate. Her cold gaze softened only a fraction.

"Well, you're awake. That's good," she said quietly. "Now, forgive me for being direct, but I require answers. We found you stripped, beaten, left on display as if your suffering were some form of theater. I need to know why those men attacked you. I must understand what happened."

Eska's expression tightened. Her eyes shimmered with sudden tears. She didn't speak immediately. Her fingers dug into her knees, her nails turning white. The memory was coming back. The sound of her husband's voice as he spat on her. The moment her clothes were torn before strangers. The humiliation. The betrayal.

Seraphina continued softly, "I've been told you betrayed your husband… that you were unfaithful, and that your punishment was his to deliver. Is it true?"

Eska trembled as she buried her face in her knees. "Please…" she choked. "I don't want to talk about it…"

"We can't help you unless we know," Seraphina said, and this time she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, not cold, not warm, but steady. "You are safe now. No bandit here will ever raise a hand against you again."

Eska looked up, eyes brimming. "Wait… bandits?" She turned her head slowly, noticing the bodies strewn on the ground. "I thought… weren't they just townspeople? Strangers?"

She stared at their still forms, horror dawning slowly. "You… did you kill them?"

Seraphina's gaze flicked down for only a second. Her voice came steady, composed. "No. They're unconscious. If left awake, they could've caused more problems, so I ensured they wouldn't."

Eska blinked. "Oh… I see…"

Seraphina straightened slightly. "Now, tell me... were they telling the truth? Were you unfaithful to your husband, or not?"

There was a long pause. Eska glanced at Kael, who stood silently, observing, then at Arwyn, who was watching her with a quiet smile. Her lips quivered, and her eyes began to well once more.

Then, suddenly, she grabbed Seraphina's leg, clinging to it tightly, as if it were the only thing holding her together. Even Arwyn was surprised by the gesture.

"Please… don't hurt him," Eska whispered. "Please don't do anything to him. He's my…" Her voice cracked. Images flashed in her mind: her wedding day, the first time he kissed her, the moment he tore her dress and walked away as if she meant nothing. "…He's my husband. He didn't do anything. Those bandits lied. I swear, ma'am. My husband would never do such a thing."

Seraphina's eyes narrowed. Arwyn crossed her arms slowly, her brows drawn together.

"Are you truly certain?" she asked, tone formal but edged with disbelief. "If you're afraid of him, you don't have to protect him. If he hurt you, if he's threatening you, there is no one in this kingdom who would reach you while you're under our watch."

"I-I'm telling the truth," Eska said firmly, but her gasping breath betrayed the panic beneath her words. "He… he had nothing to do with it. Nothing."

Seraphina studied her, unblinking. "Then… those men tried to rape you. Is that correct?"

Eska didn't answer right away. She hesitated. But then, slowly, she gave a slight nod. Seraphina exhaled. A long, deliberate breath.

"…I see. Then they will be punished accordingly. You have my word."

Eska said nothing. She curled further into her cloak. A moment passed before she spoke again, this time softly. "If… if your questions are over, could I return home now?"

"You may," Seraphina said, "but not like this. You're still wearing only a cloak, without any clothes underneath, and wandering through the city half-dressed will only invite danger once more. The Knight Order Prison is nearby... have some proper clothing brought from inside."

She turned to Arwyn. "Take her there to change into some clothes. Send word for a squad to guard the area for a while until... I suppose I don't need to give further instructions."

Arwyn nodded. "Understood, Captain." She rose with effort, still visibly exhausted, but already regaining her composure.

Eska stood shakily and, without a word, reached out to cling gently to Seraphina's cloak. For safety.

Arwyn gave her a glance, then said softly, "Come with me."

"Yes, ma'am." Eska nodded as Arwyn stepped forward. At first, Eska hesitated for a moment, then clenched her fists around the cloak and forced herself to follow her to that hell. The two of them walked slowly toward the Knight Orders Prison.

Silence lingered between Kael and Seraphina. For a while, neither of them spoke. The wind passed by, ruffling Kael's hair and tugging at Seraphina's as she stood. She didn't look at him. Then Kael placed his hands on his shoulders, took off his cloak, and tossed it to her. She looked at him, stunned, as he spoke quietly, almost conversationally.

"You still don't trust her, do you?"

Seraphina's reply came after she fastened his cloak tightly around her waist. "No. I do not." Her gaze shifted to the road where Eska had walked. "There was something in the way she spoke. She looked so desperate. I'm not sure if she lied or told the truth, but her voice… it felt as if she was somehow trying to protect him, even after what happened to her."

Kael watched her. "So why didn't you press her harder?"

"Because I've no proof," Seraphina said. "And she's too broken right now. If I pressure her further, I may lose what little truth I've gathered. But I will not forget."

"…You're not planning to just let it go, then."

"No. I'll keep eyes on her. And on her husband."

Kael tilted his head slightly. "And what was that about the tree? You vanished. Felt something?"

Seraphina's voice grew low. "I don't know. Perhaps I imagined it."

Kael raised a brow. "You? Imagine something? Come on."

"I didn't say I believed it," she said coldly. "Only that I can't confirm it."

He chuckled. "Why do you always try to hide things from me?"

She turned her head, eyes narrowed. "Because you're an outsider."

"Aren't I your husband?" he said with a grin.

"No," she replied flatly. "You're not. But tell me, where did you suddenly gain so much knowledge, huh? You're not usually that observant. Besides, doesn't this consume brain power?"

"Oh, yeah, I almost forgot," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "But I must say… you're actually cool, you know that?"

Before she could reply, knights arrived from the prison. Seraphina did not respond; instead, she stepped forward with measured grace, her eyes fixed on the approaching men. She issued her orders with quiet authority, instructing them to send the bodies to the MIMR facility without delay. The knights obeyed at once, their movements swift and disciplined. Some had already gone to prepare the vehicle.

In time, the bodies were carried away, and the preparations neared completion. Kael stood off to the side, silently watching the knights at their work. When they finally departed, Arwyn returned, Eska walking beside her. Eska was dressed now in a plain white dress that covered her completely, though it could not hide the dimness in her eyes.

"I think you should go your way," Seraphina said, her voice even and cool, "but remember, if we have need of you, someone will be sent to find you."

"Yes, ma'am," Eska murmured, her head bowed.

"If fear troubles you," Arwyn added with calm dignity, "you may remain under the knights protection. None would dare approach you then."

Eska's lips curved into a fragile smile, so faint it was almost invisible. "Don't worry, ma'am. I will be all right."

"Very well. Then you may go," Seraphina replied.

Eska turned and began walking down the path from which Kael and the others had come. As she passed him, Kael caught the shadow of sorrow on her face. He said nothing, only met her eyes for an instant before stepping forward in the opposite direction.

"Captain," Arwyn said, "there is something you should know."

Seraphina's gaze shifted to her. "You found something?"

"Yes, ma'am. The girl's name is Eska. While she was changing, I spoke with the woman at the counter... Trisy. She knows her well; apparently Eska often visits this place. Her husband was imprisoned for theft more than a month ago, and today was the day of his release. She came here to meet him, not long ago." Arwyn's tone cooled further, though she kept her voice low. "I believe you can see where this leads."

Seraphina's eyes sharpened. "If her husband was with her only moments before, then his sudden disappearance is too deliberate to be ignored. The bandits may have spoken the truth, but I will not rest on a single assumption. Those men did not strike me as his hirelings… yet the timing is too precise. I will have them watched before I take any step."

By then Kael had drawn closer. "Well," he said, his voice level, "I think I should be going."

"Sorry. We have kept you long enough. Do not forget to return this afternoon," Arwyn replied with a faint smile.

"Understood, ma'am," Kael said quietly. He turned to leave, but glanced back once at Seraphina before walking on. After a few paces, he slowed and looked toward the sky.

"…Those eyes," he murmured. "She's already lost all hope."

Closing his eyes for a moment, he drew a slow breath. "I thought I was just passing through. That this wasn't my story. Yet somehow, it always circles back. Eska… she is hiding something. And her husband... rather than understanding... became another monster. Life can be merciless. Sometimes people give everything precious they have to protect someone, only to receive a blow in the back from the very ones they love most."

He opened his eyes again and resumed walking. "Seraphina will take this further. I have no need to interfere for now. But still… to hire bandits to kill his own wife... there is no cruelty greater than that."

He paused once more, his gaze drifting back toward the road, the prison, and the place where the bodies had been. "But I wonder," he said softly, "what choices will she make now?"

Then, without another word, he turned away and continued on, his steps carrying him quietly from the scene.

---

(Chapter Ended)

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