Chapter 22: The Road to Malentei
He and Tai had been completely cured of their injuries before being sent away by Nanny Leya, who wanted some time to prepare Lyrrah for travel.
They were to travel to the capital to find Elizabeth, Nanny Leya's granddaughter, who was supposed to be able to cure Lyrrah.
Tai went straight to his room, unwilling to even talk to Hal for even a second, and for Hal, he decided to head somewhere else.
He knocked on the brown door of Joset's room, who opened the door and gestured for him to enter. He walked through the door and sat down on the pink bed in her room.
The teddy bears in the room, including the one he gifted her, came and gathered around him as Hally said, "What's wrong, Hal?" Hal lifted the Teddy bear and placed it in his lap, saying
"I'm just worried for Lyrrah, that's all" Joset, who was wearing a long green dress, closed the door and walked towards him, saying.
"I heard that she developed a severe case of fragmentation, one that even Nanny Leya can't cure" Hal nodded as he asked a question of his own, "But how did you know?"
Joset smiled at him before stepping forward and caressing his head "Velto told me"
A frown found itself on Hal's face as he grumbled under his own voice, "That little..." but before he had a chance to continue his statement, Joset smacked him on the head.
"That's no way to speak about your superior", Hal scratched his head as he then looked down at Hally, who was laughing quietly.
"Actually, why can I hear what she's saying anyway?" Joset sat next to him and was embraced by multiple teddy bears that made her giggle
"Well, I don't really know why, it's just that everyone can hear the voice of the teddy bear they gave, but not another and the reason why it works like that is still a mystery to me"
Hal fell back on her bed, causing Hally to fall back with him "I also managed to take down a dragon with my ability, by the way"
Joset did not seem surprised by the statement as Hal's face became disappointed "Did Velto already tell you about that too?"
"Well, you are my student, so why wouldn't he tell me?" Hal let out a sigh as he asked another question, "How are the capital and Elizabeth like, and how long will we stay there?"
There was a bit of worry in his voice as he spoke, which Joset seemed to pick up on as she fell back and lay next to him.
"The capital is much bigger and grander than Ortario. I remember that the first time I was there, it was so big and beautiful that I got lost taking a look around"
She stayed quite reminiscing about the time she had spent in the capital. She sighed with joy and then continued.
"And for Elizabeth, she is most likely to be your new teacher, so good luck, because her training is kind of rough, but she uses a trait, so you are most likely to learn a lot from her. For how long you will stay there, it will depend on Lady Roxanne, but I will come visit you"
She turned to him with a smile as he smiled right back, saying, "And also, I can't wait to see your gift in action, if it was able to take down a dragon"
Hal wondered why he couldn't just show it to her now. He tried marking Joset, but found out he couldn't; it felt like there was a wall stopping him from marking her.
Joset saw the distress on his face, and her face turned to one of worry, "Hal, is everything alright?" He snapped out of his previous daze and nodded with a smile as he chose to keep the fact that he was trying to mark her a secret.
He soon left Joset's room as he decided to try marking other objects to see what would happen if he did, and so he went to almost every room and tried to mark at least one thing from each.
He also tried marking his fellow silver swords before he returned to his room to think about the outcome, which left him even more puzzled.
He was still able to mark objects around the company building, but whenever he tried doing the same to a human, it felt like there was an external force stopping him.
"What could it actually be, the lord of stars, a higher being or someone in the silver sword?" He scratched the back of his head and leaned back in his seat
He got a sight of the notebook that he had turned into his first scholar's journal. The book let off a dim glow that was being suppressed by the bright sunlight passing through his window.
He picked it up and opened its pages. He felt like he was in a trance the first time he wrote in this book, but he was destined to run into more forbidden knowledge; it was the path of a scholar after all.
"I think I should take this book with me", he picked up the book and placed it in the bag he was to travel with. He didn't have that many clothes, but it wouldn't hurt to carry the little he had
He soon finished packing all he would need and sloped down to the lobby of the Silver Sword Hunter Company, where he found Tai already waiting, still looking gloomy from earlier.
Nanny Leya supported Lyrrah down the stairs and into the carriage that was waiting outside the company building.
Hal and Tai soon joined and sat with Lyrrah in between them. She looked weak but was able to stand a long journey. She smiled at them, but Hal could literally still feel her pain.
The carriage set off towards the capital, where they would meet Elizabeth, the one who could save Lyrrah from her condition.
Hal decided to test out the new marks he had acquired along the way; his marks couldn't only tap into the senses of living beings but also those of inanimate objects.
Not only were they like security cameras, only he could use, but they also produced their own soulflame, although he didn't know how to use it just yet.
He went from mark to mark looking for something to distract his mind, until he landed on something that caught his eye.
He had marked a certain book in Lady Roxanne's room, which he now used to spy on the noble Lady Roxanne.
Another woman stood next to Lady Roxanne. She was a tall woman with beautiful blue hair and eyes. She wore a purple gown that had designs of waves on it, with a slit running down one side.
Lady Roxanne stood next to the window as the noble lady spoke, "I would like to thank you, Lady Roxanne, for helping me get rid of the dragon"
Lady Roxanne turned her eyes to the woman and spoke in a low tone, "Why would you thank me? I wanted to test the scholar, and you wanted that dragon gone, Lady Terisia Aquilia"
Lady Terisia giggled, "Then why did you send that poor boy away, yet you set him yourself?" Lady Roxanne turned and looked at the book where the mark dwelled, making Hal's heart sink.
"It's simple, actually. It's because I wanted them there. If you and I are to fulfil our agendas, we need Tai and Lyrrah, but now a scholar has thrown themselves into the mix"
And as she finished that statement, she grabbed the book that acted as Hal's mark and smiled boldly at it. Hal's heart began to race uncontrollably, but he couldn't bring himself to look away.
"And that scholar is spying on us, but I don't mind. In fact, this is beneficial to both of us, little Hal. I promised to provide you with knowledge, didn't I?"
She moved to Lady Terisia and handed her the book "First of all, she will come in handy to you once you reach the capital, so make sure to find her, okay and now to the reason I want to send you to the capital" She let out a sigh and continued.
"Malentei is the biggest city in Haverfield and the one with the biggest mysteries. Who the other scholar is, who is restricting your ability to mark us, who are Lyrrah and Tai really, and what do we need them for, what is the mystery behind the disappearances in the capital, all that awaits you, my young scholar"
She took the book back from Lady Terisia and took a seat at the table with a smile still on her face "Good luck, my young scholar, for you are not the only one who seeks forbidden language"
Her smile was sinister as she shut the book at once. Hal himself pulled away from the mark as he felt his body shake with fear, "Who are you, Lady Roxanne, and what awaits me in the capital?"