Cyneah went to the receiving room after tending to Kyran. She wanted to stay and talk, but Azikh and Gidan had asked her to meet as soon as possible. It went without saying that they wanted to talk to her about Kyran.
Cyneah knew Kyran would join her if he knew Azikh and Gidan had summoned her. But she wanted him to rest properly because he was exposed to a magical beast's blood. If he continued to move around without allowing the potion to seep into his system, there was a high chance his body function would slow down, and it would take a week before he could recover.
Thus, Cyneah excused herself by saying she would look for Oded.
There were a lot of things she wanted to talk about with Kyran. She might have downplayed it by saying it could wait, but she could hardly think of anything else. After learning he was in Somuli, everything she kept hidden came rushing back to her. At the moment, she only wanted to lay them out in the open.
Cyneah sighed inwardly as she entered the receiving room. Inside, Azikh and Gidan were already waiting for her. She sensed the two standing on each side of the high chair and was looking at her.
"Why don't we use one of the huddle rooms so you two can have a seat?" She suggested.
"This room is still better," Azikh said good-naturedly.
Cyneah did not need him to elaborate. Basically, the receiving room was not accessible to other people and would prevent others from stumbling upon their conversation. Only those with a disc that would allow them to be transported inside could enter.
"I'm guessing this is about Nar?" Cyneah said as soon as she took a seat. She waved her hand, and two chairs appeared in front of the high chair.
"Can we trust that Imon-spawn?" Gidan asked gruffly as he sat.
"He's not an Imon-spawn," Cyneah replied.
"How can you explain his appearance then?"
"Gidan," Azikh warned while looking at him. "From how you talk, it is as if you are doubting the Lady Saint."
"I am not. I understand that they knew each other, but that guy's appeared out of nowhere, and seem to have ulterior motive what with the news of the Abbot's abduction… Just to let you know, I don't believe him. There is no way anyone would dare touch the Abbot, much less abduct him."
"I heard about the Abbot's abduction from Oded and Yalen," Cyneah interjected before Azikh could respond to Gidan. "And you're right about that. However, we have to understand that the situation in Somuli has gotten worse after the Sovereign's appearance. Even if the Nobles dared not touch the Abbot, there are others."
She looked toward her right.
Her subtle gesture was caught by Azikh and Gidan. To her right (which was their left), was where the opposite side of the chasm was located. For short, she wanted to remind them that they had other enemies other than the Nobles.
Cyneah straightened her back and faced them again. She continued, "Also, another group might have been coerced him in surrendering, if it meant saving us."
"If that is what happeend," Azikh replied with a thoughtful expression, "Then it is possible."
"You agree with that, Azikh?"
"Rather than agreeing, I wanted to try looking at the situation in that direction. Besides, no matter how much we doubt Nar's identity, the fact that he saved us from those horde and the magical beast cannot be denied. He came here to help. Besides," he paused and looked at Cyneah. "The Lady Saint knows him. I want to give him a chance."
Gidan growled at his words, but did not say anything. Azikh was right about being saved by Nar. He might dislike the latter, but he was not blinded by it that he would disregard what he did.
Cyneah inwardly sighed in relief. She made a mental note to thank Azikh later.
"If you don't mind me asking, Lady Saint," Azikh suddenly said with a solemn tone. "How do you know Nar?"
Cyneah smiled and replied almost immediately, "He is my benefactor."
"Was it not the Abbot?" Gidan quipped.
"No," she replied while closing her eyes. "When the Abbot saved me from the gallows, it could be considered my seventh lease in life."
"Seventh?" Azikh let out a gasp in disbelief. He could not imagine someone's life could have endured such situation seven times.
"I…" Cyneah paused while opening her eyes. "… There was a time where I was left alone in an inhabited place to die. There was no way anyone would get lost in that place. But it happened."
"He saved you."
Cyneah chuckled, "Initially, I had thought he would leave me. But he didn't. He even made fire and gave me something to eat. In any case, he took me back. Mind you, I was practically in death's door. I was skin and bones, my old wounds had already infested… no one would have wanted to take me. Besides, that place… was full of mutated beasts."
She took a deep breath before finishing, "To make it short, he saved me… then took me in. A lot of things happened before then, but he protected me. Because of him, I met my… master. I found a new place to live…."
Her voice trailed off as her expression turned sad.
"If that is the case, why were you discovered in the middle of the forest? All alone?" Azikh asked, recalling how a group of complete beings lost in the forest accidentally met her. Seeing her different hair color, blind state, not to mention, her place was full of unidentified plants, they assumed she was infected by something. Because of this, they planned to purge her.
If not for a magical beast appearing nearby, they would have succeeded. Nevertheless, those group might have died, but another was already on the way. By the time they arrived, Cyneah was in such a bad condition they were afraid her illness had already spread.
None of them knew that her condition had been caused by the magical beast's blood.
"It is because of my condition," Cyneah lied. "I did think I had an illness. I did not want them to get infected that's why I left and lived in that forest." She looked at them and continued, "You already know what happened after. And how the Abbot stopped the Nobles from purging me by arguing that what I had was not an illness but an Anathema.
"But that would not have happened, if not for you Gidan," she looked at him and smiled. "If you had not hesitated in cutting that rope, my head had already rolled on the floor before the Abbot had the chance to save me."
"Humph," Gidan replied with a snort. He turned way, but the back of his ears were bright red.
Azikh chuckled after seeing this. One of the reasons he did not openly oppose Gidan's dislike of Nar was because he knew how much the former cared about the Saint.
In Azikh's opinion, Gidan saw Cyneah like a daughter. Thus, after seeing how much that docile 'sort-of-daughter' suddenly change because of the appearance of a shady guy, he was even more opposed of him.
Nevertheless, now that they heard how Nar had been part of Cyneah's past, Azikh felt Gidan would give the young man a chance.
"Had I not hesitated, that person would not have ascended," Gidan added, trying to mask his embarrassment. "Yet, instead of showing his gratitude he treated us like this!"
"Right," Azikh sighed, knowing what Gidan was talking about. "After confirming how special Lady Saint's Anathema is, they used her to heal that person."
"Can't blame them, though. Anathemas are supposed to be the bane of complete beings. But not hers," Gidan also added.
Cyneah remained silent. She did not know how the Abbot managed to convince them that her pure mana and potent healing magic caused the change in her hair color, and the lost of her sight. But he managed to pull it off, and thus, they were all convinced that she was a complete being with an Anathema.
However, that was not the only reason. She possessed something similar to a complete being's. But Kyran did not have that, which was why Azikh and Gidan found him suspicious.
"If you still have reservations about Nar, tell me," Cyneah steered the topic back on track.
"I am willing to give him a chance. But first, we have to know if the Abbot has truly been abducted or not," Azikh replied.
Gidan snorted, "Fine. I'll give him a chance. He said he is here to help deal with our situation, right? Then that means I have full authority in handling him. I'll work him to his bone."
"I…" Cyneah started with a frown. "Y-You can't have full authority. If you want him to do something, please consult with me first. Please understand… Nar, is a very important person to me."
Gidan's expression stiffened after hearing that.
Azikh let out a short laugh and patted Gidan, "The Saint has made her stance, give it up."
"Still, he will be working under me! I mean it. Since he has such monstrous strength, obviously he will have to work with us fighters!"
Cyneah knew Gidan would not stop until he had his way. Thus, she could only relent and agreed. As long as he informed her what he wanted Kyran to do.
"Now that it is settled. We should talk to him again," Azikh said after the two had finalized their agreement.
"He is exhausted," Cyneah told them. "I want him to rest for now. Once he is well-rested, I'll call for another meeting."
"Very well."
"I have rested enough, let's talk now."
The three turned just in time to see Kyran appearing through the transportation array.
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