Episode 122- The truth behind Ario’s death.

Flashback to Day 3…

Smoke whirled up into the sky as if it was carrying deceased souls away from the mortal world. Ario dashed to the tribe's village, his sleeves covering his nose, in the midst of the chaos. There was no time to collect the deceased. He raced through the streets, past the wounded and the dead, and into the center of the village.

“-Cough-!”

The closer he got to the village's heart, the more afraid he became. House domes were encircled and set ablaze. Everywhere, nothing was not covered in fire and smoke. The sight of everything burning to crips seemed like something that came out of a novel story. However, it wasn’t a dream, because everyone present was facing this reality.

Commander Kal shook his head helplessly and called out to him from behind, “Sir Ario, have you investigated enough? This is especially dangerous for Sir. His Highness Majesty will dislike it if Sir is injured.” he said, with false concern. He has been keeping an eye out on Ario from the start, if he was truly concerned, he would not have allowed Ario to investigate this deep in.

Ario shook his head and refused firmly, “Don't you get the feeling that something -cough- isn't quite right?”

Commander Kal gazed at Ario’s unguarded back blankly. He debated on whether to reply or not, but did so anyway, “What’s not right? The armed men?”

Ario nodded as he turned around a corner.

Commander Kal shrugged his shoulders and in a voice full of snickers, said, “It was more suspicious to me that nothing happened to this village earlier rather than later.”

Ario turned around abruptly, “How can you say that!” he accused with his voice raised as he stared at Commander Kal with widened eyes.

Commander Kal sighed, “It is nothing but the truth…” He looked at Ario in a ‘You-know-it’ face.

Ario’s eyebrows furrowed. He turned and walked away, leaving Commander Kal standing behind him. If Ario turned around right now, he would have seen that the Great Commander was smiling eerily at him, looking satisfied and happy with the situation happening around him.

If Ario saw this, he might’ve been able to stay alive. A pity he never saw any of that, sooner.

Ario was searching the area for some kind of signs or evidence when he came across a bloodied and motionless man in front of him. He would usually have passed this man by and let the knights carry him away, but he stopped. Something about this man drew him in. He squatted in front of the guy, his brows furrowed. This man’s face was somewhat familiar?

“Commander!” he shouted for Commander Kal, “Look at his face! Do you recognize him?” he asked, without turning back.

Commander Kal replied in a ‘serious’ voice, “I’m not very sure...”

Ario frowned, “He seems familiar.” He whispered, reaching into the man’s robe in hopes to find anything that might identify him. Judging by the man’s clothes and eyes that he pried open forcefully, he wasn’t one of the villagers but one of the armed men.

Ario’s movement wasn’t gentle but rough, startling the man awake. The man’s face scrunched up in pain as he tried to see what’s going on. His eyes met Ario’s, who was staring at him with wide eyes. As he turned away he caught sight of a blurry familiar figure and called out unconsciously,

“Commander…”

As soon as the man murmured the word, Ario felt electricity surging through his brain and hands. It stung painfully as anxiety crept over him. The man who murmured that word didn’t look like his consciousness was quite there so that could only mean…

Clang-

Ario jumped up and moved far away instinctively. With his blood pumping with adrenaline, he stared wide-eyed at the figure who unsheathed his longsword. One second later and he would have been minced meat!

“What are you doing.” he spat out, speechless at the whole situation. Flabbergasted that the man in front of him was the culprit behind this incident involving the tribe, and speechless that the culprit was the esteemed Great Commander of Zene.

But for what reasons?

Commander Kal chuckled, his hand brushing away the stray hair that landed on his forehead. He stared at Ario calmly however his eyes didn’t lie, containing a hint of amusement in them.

Ario’s eyes flashed horror and pain, “You…” his voice dragged and quivered. He felt horror at the fact that there was someone this cruel living in the country and pain at the fact that ‘that’ person was his trustworthy comrade!

Commander Kal shrugged his shoulders, not denying the accusing look on Ario’s face.

“Why.. Why?” Ario stuttered with a loud voice filled with pain.

“Why?” Commander Kal smiled, “To eradicate this tribe and have it gone from this world.” he answered with both arms opened! Hatred flashed by his eyes as he smiled confidently at Ario!

“.....” Ario bit his lips, a wounded look on his face. He tried to look for an opening to escape but he knew in his heart that escaping was futile. He was a powerless person, like a mouse in front of a tiger.

Ario’s emotions were like an open book. Commander Kal didn’t have to do much to know what Ario wanted to do. However, he was curious. He was curious as to why Ario thought this situation was suspicious.

“What was it that you found suspicious? My plan, this scenario was perfect. There should be nothing that would have caught your eyes…”

“You’re a Commander.”

“What?”

Ario breathed out and replied seriously, “Because you’re the Commander and I am but an aide.”

“.....” Commander Kal’s face fell.

“It was suspicious because I discovered men marching to this village before you did,” Ario confessed.

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“So you were suspicious of me from the start?” Commander Kal asked with a flat voice.

“No” Ario shook his head. “That never crossed my mind.”

“I was suspicious of the aristocrats. I assumed they diverted your knights and eyes away so that you couldn’t respond to this incident fast enough.” Ario chuckled speechlessly as sighed, “Yet, I should have known when I saw you in the audience room. How is it possible for those aristocrats to make moves at someone like you?”

Commander Kal tilted his face and said blankly, “Well that’s too bad.” As soon as he finished, he stepped over the unconscious man’s body and walked to Ario.

“Why? Why do you want the tribe's people dead?” Ario’s voice quivered and he stepped back.

‘Asking me this now?’ Commander Kal raised his brow and didn’t reply. Raising his sword, he pierced him once on the chest.

“Why… Why?” Ario asked again as blood gushed out of his lungs. His question was not directed at himself, who had been stabbed, but at the tribesman who had been killed inadvertently. Commander Kal understood this and felt angrier. Even as he was dying, this man was someone he couldn’t get along with on a fundamental level.

Ario white dress stained wine red as he coughed out a mouthful of blood. He stared at the dark fuzzy figure from above him with a look of ‘Why are you doing this?’ showing on his face.

The smell of a fire burning through wood and human bodies felt as suffocating as the look on Ario’s face. Unable to stand this, Commander Kal stabbed Ario in places that won’t allow him to die just yet. As though he enjoyed this process, he repeatedly stabbed Ario on his abdomen, arms, legs, anything that was flesh.

Ario’s already paper-pale skin turning more white satisfied Commander Kal greatly. His tall nose bridge, brown freckles, and thin lips were completely covered in blood. Though he was always frail-looking, with this mess added on top of it, he was unbearable to look at.

“Die.. Ario..” Commander Kal whispered as he ended the life of Ario. He watched as Ario’s lips curved up slightly whilst breathing his last. Though he died of sudden and unfair death, he was still smiling?

‘Distasteful’ Commander Kal sneered at Ario’s peaceful face. ‘Even in death, you smile?’ He slightly regretted ending Ario’s life so soon when he saw this face.

Wiping the blood away from his sword, he thought, “Oh right, you wanted to know why I want these lowly people to die right?” Ario was already dead, however, he still belatedly answered.

Chuckling as he glanced to the sky, he smiled, “All for my beautiful wife.”

After his last words, he nonchalantly joined his comrades and once again, became the Great Commander of Zene, “There! Stop the civilians!” He rushed forward to save one tribesman from the armed civilian. However, no one knew. No one knew that he was the cause of everything happening to them.

Up until now, that is.

.

.

Present…

Commander Kal laughed his heart out, “Isn’t Ario’s fate so short-lived? He would have lived longer if he didn’t go to the village yesterday! Haha! Hahahaha!”

In the silent room, only Commander Kal’s laugh could be heard. Everyone’s heart dropped at the unexpected account. If Duke Marleigh didn’t insist on asking no one would have known how unfair the death of Ario was!

Dea and his group were trembling with devastation and anger! Their hearts were crushed precisely because they could somewhat understand how Ario must’ve felt as he was dying! The commander and great musician whom everyone loves and trusts turned out to be a fraud! How hurt must Sir Ario have felt to be betrayed like so?

Argen, the pretty twin broke out of his pretty front and shouted!, “Demon! You’re a demon! How… How could you do this to s, sir!” Tears flowed out of his beautiful eyes as he glared at Commander Kal!

Commander Kal smiled warmly. This.. This was the reaction he wanted from Ario and not some peaceful resting face!

Arie, Aren, Con, and Dea’s fists were clenched tight as their eyes showed deep hatred. Who wouldn’t? Sir Ario was someone who took them in at their lowest! Someone who should be respected, not someone who should be trampled upon! However, what could they do? This man was the Commander of Zene! Not only was he the Commander, but he also had more power than the King of Zene! This fact they could see clearly! And because of that, there was nothing they could do at all! They could only wish that he would one day be in and feel as much pain as they were feeling right now!

Just then, the door to the audience room opened, followed by one guard dressed in black rushing in. The look on his face was filled with panic and hysteria, alarming everyone in the room. The man rushed to Commander Kal and kneeled in front of him,

“Master!” The man leaned in and started whispering. These whispers were not audible but precisely because of that, they could see every minuscule emotion that flashed by on Commander Kal’s face.

Commander Kal's face was flushed with outrage, disbelief, and horror. Before anyone could react to Commander Kal’s change in emotions, the room was covered in a roar of anger!

“FIND IT! FIND THE BODIES NOW! FIND WHOEVER DID IT! ANY TRAIL! ANY EVIDENCE!”

Everyone watched as Commander Kal self-destructed in rage. The man that came in quickly saluted and left as soon as he came.

Taking this chance, Eugene quickly turned to Aernest and whispered, “What did they say?” When the man was kneeling in front of Commander Kal, Eugene had quickly adjusted the sound on Aernest’s earphones so that he could eavesdrop. When someone has something they are talented at, one must use their talent to its fullest potential!

Aernest turned to Eugene, his face incredibly pale from dread. He swallowed his dry throat and stuttered, “Tw-Twenty chil, children killed at a greenhouse. Gree-greenhouse drowned in bl-blood. No, no bodies found.”

‘Twenty children murdered?!’ Eugene’s eyes widened in horror. Keeping in the surprise, she furrowed her eyebrows, ‘Where did twenty children come from? Who are they?’ she thought quietly as she turned to Commander Kal. Who were they for him to look so angered?

Not just Eugene, everyone close by heard what Aernest said and had the same reaction. Before they could connect any dots an angered voice spoke, directed to them,

“It was you wasn’t it?” Commander Kal accused as he glared red eyes at the group below.

Eugene wanted to shout, ‘How did you connect them to us!’ but remained silent. She fixed her gaze at Commander Kal who was giving them a death glare.

“....What is?” Duke Marleigh took his time to reply.

Commander Kal pushed back his hair with his face twitching in anger, “I should have known…” he sighed loudly and shook his head.

“You have a high level of intelligence, more so than those envoys. You were able to determine that the pavilion near the lakes was suspicious in a short period of time and excused yourself. You discovered that I had the ability to brainwash people. Ario's demise. Everything. However, you went too far this time…” his voice lowered dangerous, sending shivers down Eugene’s spine.

Duke Marliegh and Duke Rodriguez frowned at Commander Kal’s 2nd sentence. Something suspicious near the lakes? That was also the first time they’ve heard of this. The reason why they refused the accommodation offered to them was that Euria was uncomfortable staying at the Royal Palace. Though Duke Marleigh gave the King the excuse that the children were uncomfortable staying beside the water and wanted to explore Zene’s capital, he didn’t think that there was something suspicious about the lakes at all!

Duke Marleigh suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, ‘Was there possible a trap near the lake?’ His hands felt clam as they clenched. Though they were fortunate to have escaped the crisis, it could be concluded that it was all just a coincidence in one way or another. If Euria didn’t discover the Crown Prince and broke down, they might’ve...

“It must have been simple for you to locate my children. But you went too far. You went too. Far.”

Eugene’s eyes widened in shock! ‘Children? The twenty children were his?! How’s that even possible!’ she turned to the Crown Prince whose eyes almost fell out!

‘No one knew about this?’ she analyzed his expression and turned to Commander Kal again.

Everyone had the same reaction! Even the knights who were surrounding them started whispering from the sudden confession!

Seeing that Commander Kal was firm with his thoughts, Duke Marleigh spoke out to deny his accusation, “This is the first time we’ve heard of this.”

Commander Kal looked back with disgust, “You need not lie. You were astute enough to avoid the hypnotic induced smoke. There is no way you wouldn't have known about my other matters if you figured this out.” He sighed, “I should have been suspicious from the start. HAAH!" He ended on a sardonic note.

‘Hypnotic induced smoke? You mean the fog that engulfed the lake and pavilion?! That was a hypnotic induced smoke?!’ Eugene was speechless. Not just her, everyone was speechless. They felt sweat trickling down their bodies. They didn’t know. They didn't know because they left because of an entirely different reason!

Duke Marleigh's fists were clenched even harder. No one understood how grateful he was to Euria at the moment. Smoke induced by a hypnotic substance. The situation would have been disastrous if Euria wasn’t there. He didn’t dare think about the various possible scenarios that would have occurred if they had stayed at the lake.